Naley Season 8
by caromal
Summary: Nathan and Haley's Season 8 journey. Starts off from where Haley tells Nathan shes pregnant again. It will be a full story, eventually haha. Just the ups and downs of Haley's pregnancy and what I think should happen in Season 8 since it's renewed!
1. An Old Wise Turtle

**Let's take a little survey..**  
**Who's missing OTH already?**  
**ME!**  
**The season 7 finale was AMAZING, and Haley's pregnant!**  
**So I've decided to busy myself for the next 4 One Tree Hillless months by writing what I think should happen for NH in season 8. It's going to be a full story, with chapters and everything. I'm starting it off from where they ended it with NH.**  
**And it's just going to be Nathan/Haley/Jamie's storyline, there will be some BJ and Mouth and Skills and everyone, but don't expect a full chapter to be devoted to them haha.**  
**So.. here we go!**

**Disclaimer: Okay, I don't own anything from OTH.**

**OH and also, I'm going to make Haley a bit happier in this story, like she can still be sad about her mom, but I don't like writing depressing storylines, so I think that this baby will be a big turning point for her in her depression.**  
**So yeah, just wanted to point that out to people who think that maybe Haley is being too happy in the story haha.**

"Nice work, daddy," Haley smiled as Nathan attacked her lips with his. His heart beat at  
100 miles per hour as his mind still processed the news that Haley was pregnant again. This was exactly what they needed right now - especially Haley. It seemed like she had been rounding a corner from her depression from her mom's death, and this exciting news definitely pushed her in the right direction.

After a couple minutes, the two needed to come up for air. Nathan made sure not to put all his body weight on Haley as he lifted up the bottom of her shirt and kissed her stomach softly. There was no sign of any swelling yet, but then again, Haley had just learned she was pregnant.

"Hey baby," he whispered softly, his lips moving against Haley's tummy, sending tingles through her body. "You probably don't realize this, but I love you more than anything. And I always will, no matter what. Don't forget that."

More tears started sprouting in Haley's eyes when she heard Nathan's words. Nathan removed his lips from her belly and moved back to eye level.

"Happy smiles remember?" He said, kissing away each of the tears that were rolling down Haley's cheeks. Haley nodded, speechless at how amazingly sweet her husband was.

"I love you," was all that came out of Haley's mouth before she kissed Nathan passionately once more. As the moment was heating up, Nathan placed his hands under Haley's shirt, slowly moving the article of clothing up and off her body.

"Uh, wait Nathan." Haley said in a quick voice as she leaped off their bed, one hand on her stomach, one hand covering her mouth. She made a dash for the bathroom before throwing up into the toilet. Nathan rushed in behind her and held her hair away from her face, rubbing her back soothingly.

"Ah, just in time," Haley groaned as she wiped her mouth, getting up from the toilet. She grabbed her toothbrush and toothpaste and washed her mouth out before turning back to a panic-struck Nathan.

"What?" She said, wrapping her arms around him.

"Is morning sickness supposed to happen this early in the pregnancy?" Nathan asked, clearly alarmed. Haley chuckled at her husband's deep concern.

"First of all, I wouldn't call this morning sickness, since it's about 10:30 pm, but yeah, it can happen this early. Remember with Jamie? We were totally unprepared, but this time, I've got the knowledge of an old wise turtle." Haley smiled, her old goofy side that Nathan hadn't seen in a while showing through.

"Turtle, huh? Am I really married to a turtle? Ew." Nathan winked as Haley smaked his arm lightly. "You love me," he replied.

"Of couse."

"So... where were we?" Nathan whispered seductively in Haley's ear, his hands rubbing her hips. Haley groaned again, her eyes rolling slightly in the opposite direction as Nathan nibbled at her ear. He trailed kisses along her cheek and down her neck, stopping at the top of her shirt. His hands moved under her shirt as they did once before, chills running through Haley's bones.

"Nathan," she whispered roughly, trying to remember how to speak as Nathan's hands massaged her stomach. "Nathan," she tried again, more clear this time. Nathan's eyes met hers.

"I'm really sorry, I want you so bad, but baby and me are really tired. Maybe we can go on the bed and...talk?" She cringed, hoping Nathan wouldn't be upset. But of course, he never failed to disappoint her.

"Yeah, sure," he smiled, kissing her softly before they headed back to their bed. After they were warm and under the covers, Nathan wrapped his big muscular arm around Haley's tiny frame. A tear fell down Haley's eye and she wiped it away quickly, hoping Nathan wouldn't notice. But Nathan's eyes had never left Haley, so naturally, he realized this.

"What's wrong, babe?" He asked, angling Haley's face up towards him. She looked down, embarassed that he had seen her stolen tear. Nathan's index finger pulled her chin gently up so she was facing him again.

"I'm going to get fat!" She exclaimed, tears errupting from her eye's pouring down her face. "Stupid hormones." She muttered through her sobs. Nathan pulled her down into his chest, kissing the top of her head repeatedly.

"Baby, that's what happens when you're pregnant! And besides, I've already seen you pregnant, and you weren't even that big..." He trailed off as he noticed Haleys crying had subsided.

"I know, but I was a teenager back then! Being a pregnant teenager equals a smaller stomach. Now I'm 25 and I'm going to get so fat you'll be disgusted!" Oh no, the tears returned.

"Honey, shhh." Nathan whispered, rubbing Haley's back. Haley sniffled as she tried to pull herself together.

"I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm going so teenage girl on you." She joked, wiping her tears.

"Maybe that means it'll be a girl," Nathan pointed out.

"Hmm, I don't recall burping and belching during Jamie's pregnancy like a teenage boy, so I think your theroy is wrong."

Nathan sighed. "Darn."

"Would you be upset if it's not a girl?" Haley asked in all seriousness. Nathan looked into her chocolate brown eyes. _A little girl, just like you._

"Nah, I'll love it if it has 3 ears, 4 noses, and 6 eyes."

"That sounds attractive," Haley laughed, winking at Nathan.

"Well, now that we know this exciting news, I should tell Clay that I won't go to the next training camp in line."

Haley stared at Nathan. "No, go to the camp, don't skip it because of me."

That's what Nathan loved about Haley. How she could be so selfless, even when she was still struggling with her mother's death. But Nathan needed Haley, regardless if she needed him or not.

"Nope, I already went to the first one, two weeks ago, and this one isn't mandatory like the other one. I've got the rivercourt where I can stay in shape, and I can also be with you, Jamie, and baby instead of being in a smelly gym for 8 hours every day."

He had obviously put a lot of thought into this plan, but Haley wasn't buying it.

"Come on Nate..."

"No, Haley, really. I want to stay here with you guys. I'll miss you too much. Why, are you trying to get rid of me James?" Nathan gasped.

Haley's brow furrowed as she crossed her arms over her chest, her face going into a pout. "And just when I thought I had you fooled..." She muttered. "I find you kind of, repulsive now?"

"At least you're not married to a turtle." Nathan shuddered, pulling Haley into his chest again, kissing her forehead.

"An old, wise turtle at that." She smiled. Nathan stared longingly at Haley's face, trying to take a mental picture. She was genuinley smiling, her eyes dancing with happiness, her nose scrunched up cutely, the way it always did when she smiled.

"Look at you, you're beautiful when you smile, Hales. I missed it." He commented. Haley peered up at him, nodding her head.

"I missed it too."

The two of them lay there for a couple of minutes, before Haley got a cryptic text message from Quinn. It read:

**Clay's beach house NOW!**

"Uh, Nathan? Look at this." Haley held her phone up so Nathan could read the text. His eyes filled with worry as him and Haley jumped out of bed at the same time. Nathan grabbed his keys and took Haley's hand in his, suddenly feeling weak. He held onto Haley's hand tighter as they hopped in his car and drove off to Clay's beach house.

"Brooke has Jamie, right?" Nathan asked, his eyes never leaving the road. He accelerated when the speed limit allowed him to. Haley nodded, unable to speak. Quinn didn't do 4 word text messages. She would usually have to send 3 text messages to get in all what she had to say.

Finally, they pulled to to Clay's beach house, Nathan put the Range Rover in park as Haley practically threw herself out the door.

"Hales, be careful. Wait for me." Nathan said cautiously, taking Haley's hand. The air seemed too still, the coulor of the night seemed too peaceful. Like the calm before a storm, Nathan and Haley were overwhelemed by the feeling of an unnerving stillness. The "what if's" started filling their brains as they quickly made their way up the steep set of stairs.

"I'm scared, Nathan." Haley admitted, her arm wrapping around Nathan's waist.

"Everything's going to be fine," Nathan said, trying to convince himself more than Haley. He slowly opened the front door, only to reveal two lifeless looking bodies sprawled out on Clay's floor. Nathan gasped as he put his hand over Haley's eyes, trying to spare her from seeing the horrific sight. Blood was sprayed all over the floor, causing Nathan's stomach to churn. It was too late, Haley had already seen her husband's best friend and her sister lying possibly dead right in front of her.

"I can't... I can't..." Haley trailed off before she collapsed in Nathan's arms.

**Chapter 2 will be coming out soon, I'm a little busy with school and such so maybe in like 2 weeks? We'll see haha. (:**  
**Thank you so much for reading ;D**


	2. Author's Note

**Oh goodness! I forgot to do a disclaimer!**  
**Not good haha.**

**Disclaimer: Okay, I don't own anything from OTH.**

**There ;D**

**OH and also, I'm going to make Haley a bit happier in this story, like she can still be sad about her mom, but I don't like writing depressing storylines, so I think that this baby will be a big turning point for her in her depression.**  
**So yeah, just wanted to point that out to people who think that maybe Haley is being too happy in the story haha.**

**Alright, if you read this, thanks haha. (:**

**I say haha too much.**


	3. Be Strong For Him

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything that belongs to One Tree Hill.**

By the way.. picture Dr. Rivers as that cute old doctor that was in season 4 and season 6 for Haley's car crash and for Nathan's spine thingy haha. He probably has a name in the show, but I'm not sure what it is..

Summary:

_**"He couldn't lose Haley.**_

He couldn't lose Clay.

Oh what the heck, he couldn't lose Quinn either."  
****

Nathan walked into the hospital frantically, running his hands through his short brown hair. He looked around for a seat, knowing his knees would give out on him any second. He sat down, his elbows resting on his thighs, his hands retuning to grip his hair. He closed his eyes, silently praying inside of his head. There was only one other time he'd been like this - Haley's car accident when they were in highschool.

"Nathan?" Dr. Rivers asked. Nathan stood up quickly, smoothing his messy hair. Dr. Rivers looked at Nathan sympathetically. He had seen this boy in the hospital too many times for his liking. Not that Dr. Rivers didn't like Nathan, he liked him and respected him as a person and a basketball player, but he felt bad for the boy. Whether it was his wedding limo crashing into the pond, Haley's car accident, Karen's near death experience, his spine trauma, Peyton's near death experience, he had seen Nathan in the hospital _way _too many times.

"Is she okay?" Nathan asked, shaking his head a short second after. "Are they _all _okay?"

Dr. Rivers eyes filled with sadness. "Come with me, son."

Nathan shook with dread as he slowly treaded behind Dr. Rivers. Dr. Rivers stopped at the first room on his left, where Haley sat on the bed. Her legs were crossed, her eyes watching the floor timidly. Nathan thought of the shy girl that he used to notice walking across the quad, her nose always in a book, in grades 9 and 10 when he saw Haley. In two giant steps he crossed the room, taking Haley into his arms.

"Don't scare me like that again," Nathan whispered, kissing her temple. He thought of what had happened only a few hours ago.

~Flashback~

_"I can't...I can't..." Haley trailed off, collapsing into Nathan's arms. Nathan caught her just in time, before his own legs gave out. He fell to the floor, still holding an unconcious Haley, not knowing what to do. He thought calling 911 was a start, so he grabbed his cell phone out of his pocket, a protective arm still secure around Haley's torso, and filled the people on the other line in, hysterics taking over his breath._

"Yeah.. um.. the beach house! Clay's beach house!" Nathan spat out, clinging to Haley, trying not to look out of his peripheral vision, which had Clay and Quinn lying on the floor, blood surrounding them. When he first opened the door, he noticed a bullet wound in Quinn's arm and one in Clay's chest.

The emergency people responded calmly. How could they be so serene at a time like this?

"Son, I'm going to need you to talk slower. Take a breath and listen to me..."

"NO. YOU listen to ME!" Nathan shouted, his hand crushing his phone in anger and fear. The old Nathan Scott was showing through, the one that he wasn't proud of, but the one that needed to come out sometimes to keep the people he loved with him. "My pregnant wife just collapsed in my arms, my best friend and my wife's sister are on the ground, dead or not, I'm not sure, but it's clear they were shot! The adress is 15 Beach Street, and I need you guys RIGHT NOW!"

"Okay we're on our way." They said, hanging up. Nathan took a deep breath in attemtps of calming himself. He ducked his ear down to Haley's chest. There was a faint heartbeat. If he lost that heartbeat...

No, he wasn't going to think that way.

Nathan's eyes cringed as he took a look at gruesome sight to the left of him. He didn't have enough time to comprehend the scene before doctors and emergency room people came piling in, scooping up Clay and Quinn and putting them on stretchers.

"Nathan Scott?" One of the people asked. Nathan looked up at him, nodding, knowing that if he spoke, his voice would betray him and he would start bawling.

"Can we have your wife?" He asked, pulling a stretcher towards him. Nathan swallowed a big lump coming up his throat, and simply nodded again, handing Haley over.

He couldn't lose Haley.

He couldn't lose Clay.

Oh what the heck, he couldn't lose Quinn either.

"Follow me," The man said, before taking Haley out the door on a stretcher. Nathan got up swiftly, keeping pace with the man who had Haley. He took her hand and kissed it before they got into the ambulance and drove off. Nathan noticed the sky as he looked out the ambulance window. Everything seemed worse, the unusual stillness being concealed by darkness. He took Haley's hand once more, kissing it softly, praying to God that everyone and everything would be just fine.

Once they arrived that the hospital, after what seemed like the longest car ride in Nathan's life, the doctors got straight to work. They worked quickly and smoothly, like synchronized swimmers. One person pulled out the ramp, and then three other doctors came rumbling down it with 3 important people in Nathan's life on stretchers. Nathan searched for Haley's face, finding her eyes closed. She looked quite peaceful as a matter of fact. And beautiful, nonetheless. His heart swelled as they started pulling her into the hospital. Nathan's eyes left Haley's face and fixed on Clay's, noticing a look of pain etched into his features. He quickly glanced at Quinn, the same for her. Nathan took one last look at Haley before they were rolled inside the hospital. Nathan followed.

"Sorry, surgery is going to be taking place, you can go to the waiting room or the cafeteria if you want." Someone who looked like a surgeon said. Nathan hung his head, slowly walking out of the door, into the waiting room. He wanted to call Brooke, but he didn't want to worry her, Jamie or Julian, so he decided to call his best friend, besides Clay.

"Hey man, why are you calling me so late? It's 12:30. Is something wrong?"

"Lucas," Nathan breathed, relieved to hear his step brother's voice. "There's been an accident. Well, I don't know what exactly happened, but Clay and Quinn were shot, and when Haley saw them on the ground, she collapsed. Clay and Quinn are getting preped for surgery right now, but I don't know about Haley. I'm scared Luke," Nathan admitted, a tear escaping his eye. He looked around, hoping no one noticed. But no one had. It's like they were all in their own little trances, each person in the waiting room just staring at the floor, awaiting to hear either good news, or news that could possibly alter their lives forever. Nathan stepped into the hallway for a little more privacy.

"Oh, my God!" Lucas exclaimed, worry colouring his voice. Nathan nodded, even though he knew Lucas couldn't see his affirmation. "This is terrible!"

Nathan's voice became wary. "Luke, I called you because I need someone logical to tell me that everything's going to be okay! If I wanted someone to tell me it's terrible, I would've called Peyton."

"I heard that!" A faint voice yelled. Peyton.

"What..."

"Speaker phone." Lucas informed. "Nate, I know you're scared, I mean, we're talking about Haley, Clay, and Quinn here. But I'm telling you, we have our own personal guardian angel watching over us. Keith. I know if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be standing here right now. Peyton would've be alive. You might've died under the water 8 years ago! I'm telling you man, I'm scared shitless right now, but I know everything will be okay."

"Okay, thanks Luke. I gotta go to the waiting room and, well, wait." 

_"Alright, you go. Send everyone our love. Love you little bro. Hang in there." Lucas said._

Nathan smiled slightly. "Love you too. Thanks."

~End of flashback~__

"I'm sorry." Haley said, thankful to be breathing in Nathan's scent. She leaned back from his embrace and kissed him forcefully. Once they released eachother, Nathan leaned his forehead againts Haley's. Dr. Rivers hated to interupt the two of them, but he had to.

"Uh, Nathan, Haley?" Dr. Rivers said, stepping in the room. Nathan and Haley's heads snapped up, embarrased that their intimate moment was stolen. They looked up at Dr. Rivers as he came in.

"So, Haley, you seemed to have suffered some mild fainting due to stress, and just the early stages of pregnancy. Nothing too serious, and your baby hasn't been hurt."

"Oh thank God," Haley sighed, putting her hand to her chest. Nathan took a deep breath and smiled, trying to hold in his fear for Clay and Quinn. If Haley remembered what happened before she fainted, then she would have been worring about them right now. But she seemed fine, smiling at Nathan as Dr. Rivers left the room. Nathan let out his breath slowly, causing Haley to wonder what was up.

"What's wrong, babe?" She asked, her hand instantly cupping his cheek. Nathan's sorrow slowly returned since the stress of Haley was now off his shoulders.

"Do you remember what happened before you collapsed?" Nathan asked, staring at Haley intently. Haley pursed her lips. 

"We were going somewhere... to Clay's beach house? But I forget why..."

Nathan groaned, dreading telling Haley the next news. She looked at him, alarmed at his strange emotions. Their baby was safe, Haley was fine, why shouldn't Nathan be ecstatic?

Nathan closed his eyes, forbiding himself to see the pain he was about to inflict on Haley.  
"Hales, Quinn and Clay were shot."

Nathan didn't open his eyes, but only noticed the short intake of breath by Haley, but no release. He opened his eyes to see tears bulding up in her eyes, on the verge of spilling over. Nathan put his hands on Haley's face.

"Breathe," he instructed. Haley let out a shaky breath, trying to contain her tears. When she realized that was impossible, she threw her arms around Nathan's shoulders and wept into his shirt. Seeing all this pain that Haley was going through caused a few tears to escape from Nathan. Soon, they heard someone enter the room.

"Nathan, Haley, Clay and Quinn are both preped for surgery, and we have an update on them." Dr. Rivers said. Nathan and Haley looked up, Haley quickly wiping away her tears.

"How are they?" She asked fearfully.

"Quinn seems to be okay, she's going to need minor surgery to get the bullet out of her arm, but she's breathing."

Haley let out a sigh of relief.

"Clay, on the other hand..." Dr. Rivers started before getting interuppted by a frantic looking young man. He was dressed in a surgeon outfit, his hands covered in blue gloves, a surgical mask covering half his face.

"Dr. Rivers!" He exclaimed. "Clay Evans has slipped into a coma and isn't breathing, we need you right now!"

Dr. Rivers face went from sympathetic to serious in a blink of an eye. He sprinted out of the room - quite an accomplishment for a man his age - and into Clay's surgery room. Nathan just looked at Haley, his eyes boring into her. He wasn't really looking at her, more like looking through her. He felt numb, and started wondering if this was one tenth of what Haley felt like during her mother's death. Now was the time Haley had to be strong for Nathan. Even though she was still hurting from her mother's death, Nathan needed her. He wrapped his arms around Haley's body, burying his face into her shoulder, as she had just done with him moments ago.

She would be strong for him.

**Wow, thank you guys SO much for all the reviews! I was so excited when I came home and saw them, I wrote this whole chapter! I got it out waaaay sooner than I thought I would. I'm basically hibernating in my room now hahaa. (:  
Chapter 3 will come soon!  
Thanks for reading! ;D  
**


	4. Mantra

_**Okay, here's chapter 3!**_

Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with One Tree Hill.

Summary: "No, she hadn't cured him from being worried sick about Clay, but some how, he felt lighter. Like she had taken some of the burden off of his shoulders. And that's why he would never, ever stop loving her."

_  
"Normally we do not like to think about death. We would rather think about life. Why reflect on death? When you start preparing for death you soon realize that you must look into your life ... now ... and come to face the truth of your self. Death is like a mirror in which the true meaning of life is reflected." - Sogyal Rinpoche_

"Am I a good person?"

Haley looked at Nathan increduously as he slumped lower into his chair in the waiting room of the hospital. He put his index finger and thumb to the bridge of his nose and exhaled slowly. Haley gawked at Nathan, too stunned to even begin to think of how to tell him that he was more than a good person. Way more. When he didn't hear a response from her, he suddenly became engrossed by the patterns on the floor. Haley rubbed his back with her hand, getting up from her seat and plopping herself on Nathan's lap. He looked deeply into Haley's eyes.

"Really, there must be some karma thing right? Bad things are happening to me, so I must be a bad person. I bet it was all those times I was a dick to Lucas. No, maybe when I was a complete ass to you and Jamie when I had my accident. You know how I was telling you at the cabin I felt like I've taken advantage of you? Maybe that's why."

Haley mirrored Nathan's focused expression. "Nathan, life doesn't always have answers, but everything happens for a reason."

Nathan arched an eyebrow, his eyes intensening. "Have you found a reason to Clay and Quinn getting shot? How about Quentin's death? Have you found a reason for your mother's passing either? Because I haven't." He said flatly, his arms staying numb at his sides. Haley's heart sank for a second, but quickly surfaced. She wasn't going to launch herself into depression again. She knew her mom passed for a reason, and even though it was devastatingly heartbreaking to see her go, she had handled it. Maybe not in the best way; snapping at Jamie, giving Nathan the cold shoulder, but everyone handled things differently. Nathan was choosing to blame himself. And Haley wasn't going to let that happen.

Nathan became interested in the floor again, speaking frantically. "Maybe if I just called Clay earlier about the training camp, he wouldn't be unconcious in surgery right now. Maybe if we invited him and Quinn to dinner like we were planning, they wouldn't have gotten shot. I should've talked to him more on the phone after Utah. I could have saved him somehow. I would've - "

"Nathan, STOP." Haley commanded, her hands going to his cheekbones. She held tightly onto his face, forcing Nathan to listen to her.

"Please stop blaming yourself for something that was completely out of your control. As much as it's killing you to have to see and hear about Clay suffering, it's killing me to see _you_ suffering like this. You are...an amazing husband. I think my mother's death made me appreciate you more, and if I ever lost you..." Haley shook her head, "I wouldn't even know what to do. But I need you to listen to me." Haley stared into Nathan's deep blue eyes, making sure he was concentrated. "Clay will be okay. If you think he's not going to be okay, he won't be. So maybe, start thinking positively?" She suggested. Nathan didn't look phased. "Clay will come out okay." She repeated.

Nathan's eyes slowly started showing more emotion than stone coldness. He wrapped his limp arms around Haley's waist, pulling her into his chest.

"Is that a promise?" He whispered strongly in her ear.

"Yes. And I _always_ keep my promises," Haley vowed, kissing Nathan's cheek. He pulled her back so he could look into her eyes.

"Always and forever?"

"Always and forever," Haley confirmed. Nathan pulled Haley back into his chest, squeezing his eyes shut. A few tears slipped out, but not enough for Haley to notice. He kissed her hair, breathing in her strawberry shampoo, finding that familiar stillness he usually had whenever he was near her. No, she hadn't cured him from being worried sick about Clay, but some how, he felt lighter. Like she had taken some of the burden off of his shoulders. And that's why he would never, _ever_ stop loving her.

A few minutes later, Nathan heard Haley let out a big yawn.

"Try to get some sleep, babe. I'm right here holding you," he mumbled againts her head.

Haley smiled, even though she too, was perturbed about Clay and Quinn.

"No, I can't. I don't want to sleep and then miss something," she whispered, snuggling up closer to Nathan. Nathan peeked down at her and noticed her eyelids threatening to close on her. If she didn't want to sleep, he was just going to have to keep her distracted.

"Okay, how about we play a game?" Nathan suggested. Haley lifted her head off of Nathan's shoulders tiredly, and took out her phone, looking at the time.

"At 4:30 am?"

Nathan put one hand up. "Hey, you're the one that didn't want to sleep," he reasoned. Haley rolled her eyes.

"Okay, what's the game?"

"More like a test. We both have to see how much we _actually _know of each other. So if I say, 'favorite food", you have to guess what my favorite food is. And I'll tell you if you were right or not. And vice versa."

Haley deliberated for a second. "We're going to play a game, testing how much we know each other..." she trailed off, starting a new thought. "I don't know if you recall, but we failed our marriage test," Haley joked.

"But I got an A+ in your heart..." Nathan said lovingly, batting his eyelashes.

Haley cringed. "Ooh, gotta work on your pickup lines there, Scott."

"You didn't complain when we were 16."

"Okay, whatever dude. First question. My favorite animal." Haley tested, watching Nathan nervously as he decided his answer.

"Uhh, a panda?" He guessed.

"Wrong! Zebra. Colours right, animal wrong. Point for Haley!" Haley proclaimed.

Nathan's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? Why a zebra? That's so random,"

"And a panda isn't?" Haley challenged.

Nathan got defensive. "Whoa, panda's are _awesome_," he emphasized. "Anyways, my turn. My favorite icecream flavour."

"Oh Nathan, you used the easiest one. Rocky Road, duh."

Nathan snapped his fingers together. "Darn. Okay, you win this time James. But this isn't over."

Haley looked longingly up at Nathan. "I won, so what's my prize?" She asked seductively. Nathan looked around, realization kicking in that they were still in the waiting room. So he nudged Haley, motioning her to get off his lap. He then got up and took her hand, bringing her into a deserted hallway. He leaned her gently against the wall, resting his forehead on hers for a couple seconds before taking her lips in his. They kissed deeply, both trying to forget what was going on in the screwed up world that kept on revolving outside of this hallway. Nathan braided his hand in Haley's hair, massaging her head. Even though he was hurting, he was trying to comfort her in any way possible. She had always done the same for him.

A couple minutes later the two parted, their foreheads returning to lean on each other.

"Thank you for everything Haley, I love you _so _much," Nathan whispered, his eyes concentrated on hers. Haley smiled, a tear falling from her eye. Nathan caught it quickly with his thumb before kissing the trail that the tear had made. "I love you so much it physically hurts," he said huskiliy against her cheek. Haley wanted to say something full of love and passion like Nathan just did, but the way his lips were kissing her cheeks and nose, she could only mumble out an almost incoherent, "I love you too."

Soon, Nathan unwillingly lifted his forehead off of Haley's, and led her back to the waiting room. It had been about 2 hours since they had found out about Clay not breathing and going into a coma. Possibilities of what could be happening in that surgery room filled their heads as they returned to their chair.

After Haley was comfortable in Nathan's lap again, Nathan watched her every movement, studying her.

"You're kinda freaking me out by staring at me so much," Haley said, chuckling. With anyone else, Nathan would have been embarrased. But he never felt embarrased or insecure around Haley, so Nathan just smiled when he heard Haley's comment.

"I'm just wondering how you handled your mother's death by yourself. I mean, you just saw me half an hour ago, I was a complete mess, but _you_ made it better. How did you do it alone?"

Haley pondered for a minute. "I think...knowing that you and Jamie were there made it easier. I was still definitely not myself, but after my pool incident, every time I looked at you or Jamie, I saw hope. And everyday I saw more and more of that hope, so I held onto it. Before that, I just saw darkness everywhere I went. I got frustrated because I thought no one understood what I was going through, but when I saw how hard everyone was working to try and comprehend what I was feeling, I felt terrible for being so nasty to them. But again, I was still in that mindset that there was no point to living after my mom died. And then you pulled me out of the water...and everything just got better." 

Nathan took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. "Wow," was all that he could come up with.

"Pretty messed up, right?" Haley stared at her fingers, which were playing with an elastic band she had had around her wrist. 

"Hey, no. Look at me," Nathan instructed. Haley's eyes met his, causing him to forget what he was about to say. How could one look from her totally sweep his brain? He got lost in the chocolate brown of her eyes for a second, before he realized that Haley was still waiting for him to speak.

"You are not messed up," he told her. She nodded, her eyes returning to her elastic band. A few minutes later, Dr. Rivers came in the waiting room. Haley leaped off of Nathan's lap when she saw him enter.

"We have an update on Clay and Quinn. Quinn is out of surgery and is doing well. You two can go visit her if you would like." Haley looked up at Nathan, nodding. Dr. Rivers continued. "Clay is breathing again, but has a very low heart rate and could possibly need a new heart. The bullet hit him about 5 centimetres away from his heart, which is too close for our liking. We are now going to remove the bullet, and see if we can get a new heart to save Clay."

"Oh, my God." Nathan and Haley said at the same time. Nathan grabbed Haley's hand for support, trying to let all this information sink in. Haley's words repeated in his head. _Clay will come out okay._

"Thank you, Dr. Rivers," Haley said. Dr. Rivers smiled and nodded.

"Quinn is in room 233 if you want to see her." He said before leaving the couple. Haley turned to Nathan, repeating her mantra.

"Clay will come out okay,"

"Clay will come out okay," Nathan breathed. They started walking to Quinn's room together, anxious to hear her side of the story. When they entered, they saw a big bandage around Quinn's arm, and a bunch of IV's hooked up to God knows where. Haley ran over and gave her sister a big bear hug.

"Quinn! I was so scared," Haley admitted. Nathan walked over, giving Quinn a hug too.

"You okay?" He asked nervously. Quinn smiled, nodding her head.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Arm doesn't even hurt. I've been worried sick about Clay though," she swallowed loudly, looking around the room. Haley smoothed her sisters hair, telling Quinn her mantra.

"Clay will come out okay. But first, can you tell us what happened?" Haley asked, grabbing Nathan's hand. Quinn slowly closed her eyes before reopening them again to see Haley and Nathan watching her intently. 

"Katie," she growled. "Katie came into Clay's house, and when I walked around the corner, she shot me. It hurt like hell, and it was only in my arm. I pretended to be dead though, just in case she decided to shoot me again. And then I heard the worst sound I've ever heard," Quinn closed her eyes again, tears falling out. "Clay's cries as she shot him right in the chest!" She exclaimed, tears pouring down her face. "Maybe if I wasn't so selfish and actually got up after she shot me, I could've protected Clay. Saved him. It's all my fault, and now he might not even come out alive!"

Haley couldn't help but cry along with her sister, hugging her and whispering to her that it wasn't her fault. Nathan, however, was different. Blood boiled through his veins when he heard Quinn say the name "Katie". This psycho stalker Clay had talked to him about so many times had endangered the lives of two important people in his life. And Nathan just wasn't going to let that slide. He started storming out of the room, before he heard Haley's voice.

"Nathan! Where are you going?" Haley called, her eyes watery and bloodshot. Nathan looked back at the broken sight of Haley and Quinn, two of the strongest people he knew, crumbling. 

"I'm going to find Kaite." He said, clearly disgusted to even say that name. Haley looked at Quinn with wide eyes, before she heard the door slam shut.

**Okay, chapter 4 is coming soon!  
Thanks for all the reviews! It means to much to me. (:  
**


	5. Gun Point

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with OTH.**

Summary: "_**She steadied herself before pulling out the one object that could silence even the most fearless of people."**_**  
**

"Where is she?"

"Be more specific please."

"Where is the psycho who shot my sister in law and one of my best friends!" Nathan shouted at one of the police officers who was working on the crime at Clay's beach house. There was caution tape surrounding his whole house, and caution tape around the blood that had long dried by now in the front room. Nathan only saw these things on TV, they didn't happen in real life.

"Do you know who the shooter is?" The police officer exclaimed. Nathan nodded his head anxiously. The police officer called over a detective. "We have an identification of a suspect." 

The detective looked at Nathan curiously. "Do you have the name and a description of this girl?"

Nathan sighed impatiently. He wanted to _find_ her, not _describe_ her. "Her name is Katie Ryan. She used to have brown hair but she dyed it blond. She's pretty small and... that's about it." 

The detective nodded, scirbbling on his notepad. "Thank you," he said, walking away. Nathan looked around, checking the area. She obviously wouldn't be here around all these police officers.

"If I was a stalker, where would I go?" Nathan questioned. He started walking down the beach, hopping into the Range Rover. He drove to the bridge near the rivercourt, making out a mysterious figure standing on the edge. He increased his pace to see the figure, remembering Clay telling him how she stood on the edge of a bridge to look like Sarah.

And when Nathan got out of the car and saw a flicker of the blond hair, that was all he needed to know. 

"HEY!" He yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth to make his voice louder. Katie stayed still, the only things moving were her lips. Nathan moved closer to hear what she was saying.

"You are Sarah. You are Sarah. You are Sarah," Katie repeated to herself. It took Nathan a second to realize that Katie was trying to brainwash herself.

"KATIE!" Nathan yelled, snapping Katie out of her trance. She looked at Nathan, her eyes crazed.

"Nathan Scott," She said, slowly stepping over the bridge's bar and onto stable ground. Nathan narrowed his eyes.

"We need to talk," Nathan ordered, his face full of hatred. Katie just stared at him thoughtfully, which truthfully, really creeped Nathan out. 

"How did you do it?" She asked.

"Do what," Nathan spat out.

Katie stepped closer to Nathan. "Get Clay to sign you. You're his best client. How did you do it?"

Nathan took a step back. "Not by shooting him and his girlfriend," he said, his eyes full of bitterness and repulsion. Katie flinched for a second, but quickly returned to being too pleasant. She took another step forward. There was now about 2 meters away from her and Nathan.

"Oh, you don't have to bring that up. I'm over that,"

Nathan gawked at her. "You think you can just get away with this? With shooting my best friend and his girlfriend? You honestly think I'm just going to walk away right now. I'm turning you in." Nathan declared. Katie didn't seem phased.

"I like you Nathan."

She took a step forward.

"What? What does that have to do with Clay?" Nathan said, confused. He took a step back, grabbing his cell phone out of his pocket to call 911 if needed.

Another step forward.

"Always and forever," she whispered, taking a big stride to Nathan, grabbing his shirt.

When Nathan heard Katie use him and Haley's line, he lost it. He ripped himself away from Katie, pushing her into the bar that stopped her from going over the bridge. She steadied herself before pulling out the one object that could silence even the most fearless of people.

"Don't move," she whispered sweetly, pointing her gun at Nathan. Nathan gulped, sweat appearing on his forehead. He froze, holding his hands up in front of his face. This was the second gun he had ever had pointed at him, and that was two too many.

**~Back at the hospital~ **

Haley and Quinn stared incredulously at eachother, both thinking the same thing.

What the hell had gotten into Nathan?

"Quinn, are you okay to be here alone?" Haley asked frantically. She needed to get out of there and find Nathan before he put himself in harms way.

Quinn nodded her head. "Yeah, doctors come in here like every minute. Go to Nathan," she said, motioning her out the door. Haley ran out, but poked her head back in for a second.

"I love you, Quinn."

"Love you too, now go!" She exclaimed. 

Haley ran out to the parking lot to find the Range Rover was gone.

"Dammit," She muttered to herself. At that exact second, she saw a taxi drive by on the freeway. Why a taxi was around at 5:00 am was beyond Haley, but she didn't care. It was her only way of transportation. She quickly flagged down the taxi and hopped in. 

"Hi, um, 15 Beach Street please," Haley said, tapping her knees in anticipation. The driver drove up to Clay's beach house. There was only a few police officers around, and Haley didn't spot the Range Rover. She cursed internally.

"Um, sorry, can we just drive around for a bit? I'm trying to find my husband," Haley pleaded, hoping she wouldn't get kicked out onto the street.

"Sure, what else is a guy to do at 5 am?" the taxi driver joked. Haley tried to smile, but was too apprehensive to genuinley laugh. They drove past the bridge, where Haley spotted a tall, muscualr looking guy standing with his hands infront of his face. It was Nathan. 

"Stop!" Haley exclaimed as the car came to a screeching halt. Haley handed over the money and quickly thanked the taxi driver.  
**  
~With Nathan and Katie~**

Breaking the silent confrontation between Katie and Nathan was the sound of a car door slam shut. Nathan was curious to see who it was, but didn't dare move. Katie looked over Nathan's shoulder and scowled.

"NATHAN!" Haley screamed, running towards the scene. Nathan's eyes widened as he heard Haley's voice behind him. His heart rate increased as he thought of how much danger he had put Haley in. If his anger didn't get the best of him in Quinn's hospital room then they wouldn't be standing at gun point right now. 

"STOP!" Katie ordered, moving the gun from Nathan to Haley. Haley stopped dead in her tracks when she was right beside Nathan. She grabbed onto his arm, tears of horror starting to pour down her face when she saw the gun.

"Nathan...what...happened?" Haley whispered between sobs.

"Shut up," Katie ordered. Haley became quiet, burying her head into Nathan's musclar arm.

"How's your little Quinney doing in her grave, Hales?" Katie asked. Nathan and Haley's heads both snapped up when Katie used Haley's nickname. If Nathan's eyes could've shot darts right then, they would have. He stepped protectively infront of Haley, keeping one of his hands on her torso. 

"If you're going to shoot someone, let it be me." Nathan said, giving in to Katie. Haley's eyes widened as she heard Nathan's death wish. A fresh set of tears tumbled down her face.

"No...me." Haley choked out, peeking over Nathan's shoulder. Nathan looked back at Haley, the fear strong in his eyes.

"I wouldn't be able to live if you died," he said through his teeth. The stress of the moment was almost too much to handle before Katie spoke.

"No, you know what? Before Haley came, I was just going to kill Nathan, but now I'm thinking... since I shot one of the men I love, why not shoot the wife of the other one I love?" 

Nathan objected. "I've never talked to you before, how the hell could you possibly love me?" He asked, his face scrunching up in terror. Katie laughed coldly before stepping closer to the couple.

"Honey, you obviously don't know love if you don't know my love for you!" A hard chuckle errupted from her chest again. She twirled her gun around her index finger like it was nothing. Nathan looked back at Haley, a look of determination sweeping away his fear and uncertainty.

"We're not going to die," he promised. And somehow, Haley believed him. Her trust and love for Nathan was undeniable. She had had an amazing life with him, and even though it was nowhere close to being over, Haley realized that if she died with him, right now, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

But then she thought of Jamie.

Her love for Jamie was also unconditional. She thought of how Jamie had Nathan's warm blue eyes, and her mom's hair. His logic and brains for a kid his age had clearly come from her side of the family. How he could keep up a conversation with an adult. His chubby little cheeks.

And this wonderful creation in her right now. Girl or boy, she was more than ecstatic to be pregnant again. If she died, this baby died. This baby that never had a chance to see the world, to learn how to talk, walk, read, write, love, learn.

Nope, Haley wasn't ready to die yet. And she definitely wasn't ready to watch Nathan be murdered. She would never be ready for that.

Katie tapped her finger on her chin. "The question is... how am I going to do this? I could shoot you right here, right now, but there's always the danger of Nathan taking the bullet for you. I could make you suffer?" Her hand went up in the air, pondering her idea for a moment. "Nah, I wouldn't be able to get past Nathan without having to kill him."

Haley's body shook uncontrollably as she realized her or Nathan's death was coming extremly close. She tried to think of things to say to change Katie's mind, but realized something.

Nothing she said had changed Jimmy's mind.

So why even try? Obviously this psycho was going to shoot them, no matter how many reasons Haley gave her to keep them alive. Haley checked behind her shoulder to see if _anyone _was around. But all she saw was the moving in of deep storm clouds, the rush and rumble of the trees as the wind picked up. Haley turned back to Kaite, her arm still wrapped securley around Nathan's biceps.

"You. Are. Not. Killing. Her," Nathan growled, stepping even further infront of Haley.

Katie snarled. "Well I'm obviously not shooting you! I shot Clay because he pushed me away _so_many times. He was unsure of his love for me. But Nathan, the only time you've pushed me away is right now! And I'll get over that."

"YOU'RE WRONG!" Nathan bellowed. "Clay pushed you away because you're a psycho stalker bitch!"

Haley rubbed Nathan's arm. "Nate, shh. Let me handle this," she whispered, stepping around Nathan.

"Ooh, clear target. Perfect," Katie's eyes narrowed as she lined up her gun to where Haley was standing. It took Nathan a second to realize what was going on before a booming crash silenced the whole city. 

**Alright so that was kinda short lol. But I'm gonna release chapter 5 realllly soon. And make it long. There's not a lot to write about when theres a gun involved lol. I now understand why Mark Schwan keeps writing in stalkers, they're so additcting to write about! lol. Sorry If you didn't like the whole stalker thing, since Nathan has already had 2 stalkers, but that's the way the cookie crumbles, hehe.**

Thanks for reading! (:


	6. Squeeze

**Disclaimer: I don't own OTH.**

Summary: _**"His lips tackled hers fiercely, regardless of the police officers and the doctors emerging from incoming ambulances. Because in this moment, Nathan only needed to feel Haley loving him the same way he desperately loved her."  
**_**  
**  
"Oh. My. God. Brooke!" Haley exclaimed, running over to her best friend. Brooke's eyes lowered from her gun as she blew off some powder from the tip. She opened her arms to catch Haley before she started sobbing all over again. Nathan couldn't move. He stared at the lifeless body that had just threatened to kill his wife. He tried to comprehend it, but quickly realized he couldn't. There was only two things he needed right now. To thank Brooke, and to hold Haley.

"Oh man," Nathan breathed, walking over to the two women. Brooke had tears in her eyes when she looked up at Nathan. He wrapped his arms around the two of them, creating a big bear hug. 

Haley was clearly still in shock. "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God," was all that she whispered. Nathan ducked his head down and kissed her cheek.

"Shhh. We're safe now, baby," he whispered in her ear. This only made Haley's body shake more out of control, her wails coming on stronger. Nathan took his arm off of Brooke and wrapped both of his around Haley, holding her tighter than he ever had in his entire life. Brooke stepped back, letting the couple she loved dearly grasp onto eachother. She crossed her arms, silent tears still falling down her cheeks, still so stunned by the moment.

A couple minutes later, Nathan's kisses and soothing words had succesfully calmed Haley down. They turned to Brooke, who was staring at Katie, her eyes narrowed.

"Her outfit is so disgusting," Brooke spat out, looking up when she felt Nathan and Haley's eyes on her. "What. It's true," she reasoned. Leave it to Brooke to notice someone's outfit at a time like this.

"Thank you _so _much Brooke. You literally saved our lives," Nathan said, his arm wrapped securely around Haley's waist. She leaned her head againts his shoulder, breathing in his warm scent. 

Brooke rolled her eyes. "Pft, I save lives all the time. Clothing designer by day, superhero by night," she chuckled before her eyes became serious. "But really, no problem. I was actually on my way to the hospital to see Clay and Quinn because I heard about the shooting. It was all over the news. Then I saw this, and got a little sidetracked. Thankfully, I carried my gun with me. Julian told me to, since they said they hadn't caught the shooter and it's like, 5:00 am. And do you really think I could let Naley die? Never," Brooke swore, opening her arms. Nathan and Haley accepted Brooke's embrace, hugging her closely.

"What were you doing up at 5:00 am?" Nathan asked,once they broke from Brooke's arms. Brooke gave him a 'you don't wanna know' look.

"Oooooh," Nathan flushed, looking down at his feet. Haley chuckled before turning to Brooke.

"Thank you," she whispered. Her eyes were still a bit watery when the trio heard sirens in the distance. A few seconds later, the sirens were closer, their staccoto seeming to increase. Soon enough, four police cars came speeding onto the bridge, eight poilcer officers grouping together, four infront, four behind. The ones infront went down on one knee, holding their guns at eye level.

"Put your hands UP!" One of the officer's screamed. They couldn't tell which one said it though, due to the black masks that covered each of their faces. Brooke dropped her gun, and the three of them put thir hands up cautiously.

"Did you shoot her?" The same officer said, pointing his gun in the direction of Brooke. Brooke gasped, nodding her head. Nathan spoke up.

"She's the one that shot Clay Evans and Quinn James this morning. She was threatning to shoot my wife less than 20 minutes ago, and Brooke here, is our good friend, and she rescued us. It was totally out of self defense," Nathan clarified. The officer's relaxed in synch, whick freaked Haley out. The got up, lowering their guns.

"Nathan Scott?" One of them asked. Without his gun pointing at them, the officer looked kind of nice. 

"Yeah," Nathan said. "Clay is my agent. Quinn is my wife's sister," Nathan said, pointing to Haley. The officer looked at Haley, nodding his head in deep thought.

"You came to the scene of the crime asking where this girl," the officer pointed to Katie's body, "was."

Nathan nodded. "And then my wife, Haley came to find me when Katie had the gun pointed at me. Then Katie got all stalker creepy and started threatening to kill my wife," Nathan shuddered at the memory, pulling Haley to his side with one muscular arm. The officer stared at the couple to the point where it got uncomfortable for Nathan and Haley to look at him anymore. A couple seconds later, he snapped out of his daze.

"Alright thanks," he said, walking away. Nathan and Haley looked questioningly at eachother. It _was_ 5:00 am, so the officer was probably just tired.

Nathan wrapped his other arm around Haley, leaning his foreheard against hers. His lips tackled hers fiercely, regardless of the police officers and the doctors emerging from incoming ambulances. Because in this moment, Nathan only needed to feel Haley loving him the same way he desperately loved her. Haley kissed him back with as much love and passion her heart and soul contained. She wanted to continue being in this intsant with him, but the shy, easily embarrased side of Haley started seeping through her fearlessness. She slowly detatched her lips from his, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. Nathan stared adoringly at his bashful wife.

"I love you," he said. "Just incase you didn't know." 

"I know," she replied, her hand cupping his cheek. The same police officer that was staring intently at Nathan and Haley a couple minutes came back to them again.

"Okay so, we're going to need to bring you two to the hospital to see if there's anything wrong. Are there any health concerns? Any diseases? Any chance she's pregnant?" He said, his head flinching in Haley's direction.

"Um... yeah, actually. I am," Haley smiled. Even though Brooke was standing a few metres away, she heard.

"SHUT. UP. TUTOR MOM!" She schreeched, running over to Haley, pulling her into her arms. Haley laughed and quickly pulled away.

"I just found out yesterday, so please don't tell anyone. Especially Jamie," Haley said slowly, making sure Brooke absorbed it all. Brooke's head nodded slowly.

"Yup. Yup!" She exclaimed, jumping up and down. If you didn't know any better, you would've thought Brooke was the one who was pregnant.

"I think the most important thing to do right now is go to the hospital and make sure Haley and the baby are okay," Nathan said, poking his face into Brooke and Haley's squeel fest.

"Good idea," the officer agreed. Nathan took Haley's hand, leading her to the ambulance. Brooke climbed in after them, settling herself into the seat. Her legs tapped uncontrollably, like a little kid high on sugar.

"Brooke, calm down," the police officer said. Nathan, Haley and Brooke looked up at the sound of this mysterious police officer's knowledge of Brooke's name.

"Okay, I thought you guys would have figured it out by now!" He said, slapping his hand to his forehead. Nathan and Haley watched him shake his head rapidly. Oh no, not _another_ pyscho.

"It's Marcus! Marcus from the tutor centre!" He said, his face making a 'duh' expression. Nathan, Haley, and Brooke gawked as realization hit them.

"Wow," Haley breathed. "I thought you dropped out of school..."

"Yeah, but after the day in the tutor centre with Jimmy, I took the rest of the year off. I was too shaken by the memory. But then I decided that I could help people like Jimmy, or just help people in general. So I changed districts, finished up my school, went to college to become a police officer, and 2 years in the business later, here we are." 

Brooke put her hand to her heart. "Wow," she said, repeating Haley. Nathan was in silent shock.

"Yup. When I saw you guys, I freaked out. I've been watching you in the NBA, Nathan," Marcus said, looking at Nathan. Nathan was in his own little world of comprehension to seeing Marcus again. He mumbled a dumbfounded 'uh-huh', his eyes boring into Marcus.

"Nathan," Haley whispered, kissing his cheek. Nathan snapped back into reality. 

"Sorry, I'm just findind this hard to believe," he said, shaking his head as if he was clearing out a cloudy image. Marcus nodded his head. 

"Me too." 

Soon enough, the ambulance pulled up to the hospital. Nathan was having serious deja-vu. He was in this same situation hours ago.

"Wow, I was just here," Nathan breathed, yawning. Haley wrapper her hand around his arm.

"Sorry babe," she whispered, wishing she could make things easier on him. He had been through too much for one lifetime in less than 24 hours. She kissed his tired eyes, suddenly feeling hers drooping. 

"Come on guys," Marcus said, touching Haley's shoulder lightly. Brooke jumped out of the ambulance, making her way to the entrance. Nathan and Haley got up tiredly, a weird feeling of vertigo coming over them. They got out of the ambulance just in time to see Katie's morbid body being rolled into the hospital. Haley visibly shuddered, huddling into Nathan's chest. They walked slowly, suddenly cherishing their moments with eachother. Nathan grabbed Haley tightly, protecting her from anyone or anything that could take her away from him in an instant.

Marcus walked them to the lobby of the hospital.

"Well, this is my goodbye," he said, looking down at the floor. Awkwardness set in as Brooke, Nathan and Haley decided how they should leave him. Should they hug him?

Haley spoke first, breaking the tension. "Bye Marcus, good seeing you again," she smiled. He nodded his head slightly before leaving through the automatic doors.

"Blast from the past," Brooke inquired, watching Marcus walk off into the dusk. She yawned involuntarily. 

"Nathan, Haley, Brooke?" Dr. Rivers said, coming to them with a clipboard in his hands. A police officer walked past the trio and out the door. "Officer Hamelton just told me your predicament. You two seem calm for two people who were just threatened to get shot," he commented, pointing at Nathan and Haley. They both looked at eachother with wary eyes.

"We've dealt with a lot of psycho's over the years. It's going to sound sick to say this, but we've gotten used to it?" Haley laughed nervously. Dr. Rivers just nodded calmly, moving aside.

"So we'll get you all in 3 separate rooms so I can do an assesment just to make sure you're all okay," he said. The three nodded and headed to their rooms.

A couple minutes later, Dr. Rivers came into Haley's room. Nathan followed.

"How are you?" Haley asked automatically. Nathan chuckled at his wife's immdediate concern.

"I'm fine," he reasurred, running his hand through her hair. She closed her eyes and smiled at his touch.

"Okay so we're going to do an ultrasound on your baby. Even though it's quite early in the pregnancy, it's possible we could find a heartbeat." 

Nathan and Haley looked excitedley at eachother as Dr. Rivers brought the monitor over to beside Haley. He rubbed the cold, blue gel over her tummy, listening intently for a heart pound.

All of a sudden, a steady little heartbeat filled the room. It was all Haley could hear.

"That's our kid!" Nathan marveled, hugging Haley. She grasped his shoulders, holding him closely. 

"That's it," she confirmed, a tear of joy slipping out.

Nathan pulled back, kissing her smack on the lips. Even though they hadn't had any sleep, Nathan's eyes danced with happiness. 

Dr. Rivers hated to break the excitement, but he had some serious facts to lay out. "You're lucky Haley. The stress of everything lately could have caused a miscarraige. It's still possible to have one, so Nathan, I need you so make sure that Haley does nothing but rest for the next week," Dr. Rivers instructed. Nathan nodded his head, looking at Haley. She was sooo not going to like the idea of staying inside for a whole week.

"Can I leave the house?" Haley asked warily.

"Yeah, but only if you're under supervision, preferrably Nathan, but it can be anyone you trust."

"Oh it's gonna be me," Nathan assure Dr. Rivers, smiling devilishly at Haley. She winked at him, blushing slightly.

"Okay, you two are free to go. Clay is still in surgery, and Quinn is asleep. You can visit them tomorrow, and we'll call you if anything dramatic happens," Dr. Rivers said. He wiped Haley's stomach, and the couple left hand in hand. Brooke was in the waiting room when they stepped out.

"Hey, are you and the baby okay?" She asked, worried. Haley nodded, squeezing Nathan's hand.

"Julian and I can keep Jamie for another day, just so you guys can have a day to rest."

"Just what Dr. Rivers suggested," Nathan said. Brooke nodded, pulling the couple into one last hug.

"Brooke, coupld you please not tell Jamie about this? I don't want to worry him," Haley asked.

"Yeah, that kids got enough on his plate. He doesn't need to worry about his parents getting attacked by a psycho who already stalked and shot his uncle and aunt."

"Nope," Nathan agreed quickly. Brooke said her goodbyes and left. Haley turned to Nathan, sighing. She closed her eyes, tiredness dominating her body.

"Alright, lets go home and _sleep_," Nathan mumbled soflty againts Haley's skin. Her eyelids fluttered opened in agreement.

**At Home  
**

Nathan and Haley entered their room, strained and defeated. They collapsed on their bed together, both realizing that they had been in their pj's the whole time. They got under the covers swiftly, Nathan's arm cardinally wrapped around Haley's small frame.

"I feel like a vampire. I see the sun rising in the windows, and I'm dead tired," Haley chuckled.

"Vampire turtle? Even weirder," Nathan joked, kissing Haley's head. They lay in relaxed silence, the events of the night and morning sinking in. Nathan soon broke the the laconism.

"I don't understand how you can go through so much, and remain smiling and happy. It amazes me. You amaze me," he murmerd lovingly.

"I was about to say the same thing about you," Haley said, her hand cupping his cheek. He turned his head instinctively turned into her touch.

"I love you, incase you didn't know," Haley mentioned, mimicking Nathan's earlier words. Nathan closed his eyes, relishing the moment. Reopening his eyes, he stared into Haley's deep chocolate ones. His heart gave a little squeeze, the same little squeeze it gave him every time he fell more in love with her. 

"I know."

And with that, they finally fell into a sweet slumber in eachothers arms. Haley peeked her eyes open and watched the slight smile on Nathan's lips, his eyes peaceful, despite all the wrong on his world.

And her heart gave a squeeze.

**Okay, there. I thought it was about time to include Brooke lol. Jamie will come next chapter!  
Oh and yeah, just because I know people will comment about Marcus.. yeah he was really random. ;p  
Thanks for reading! (:  
**


	7. Turkey Sandwiches

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything from OTH or Sports Centre, or NBA Live... or anything lol.****Summary: __****"She kept **up the soothing melody, soon taking away all the stress she and everyone in her family was going through. It was only her and the piano."

"I refuse to eat another turkey sandwich."

Nathan looked at Haley with hopeful eyes as he carried in her 3rd sandwich of the day. It was almost dinner time, and Nathan hadn't allowed Haley to step one foot out of the living room.

"Just because we woke up at 3:00 pm, it doesn't mean you have to try to squish all my meals into 3 hours. This baby is going to be huge!" Haley continued, patting her stomach. Nathan sighed, putting the sandwich on the coffee table. He crawled onto the couch and laid beside Haley.

"Turkey is good for her," he said, kissing her belly. Haley smoothed his hair, her heart skipping a beat as she noticed the female term.

"Can I please leave the living room?"

"No."

"Nathan!" She whined. "Dr. Rivers didn't say I had to be quarentined."

Nathan pretended to deliberate this fact for a minute. "Nope, you're resting. In here."

"Now I understand why Peyton went crazy when Lucas locked her in their house," Haley mumbled. Nathan laughed, pulling her closer for a kiss, but was hurt when she pulled away.

She wrapped her arms around her torso and turned her back on Nathan. "Nope. I'm mad at you," she said childishly. Nathan rolled his eyes, his massive hands pulling her back over to him.

"You're sexy when you're mad."

"Well unless you let me leave the room and go see my sister and your best friend, I don't think I'm going to stop being mad at you."

Nathan smirked. "Well then I guess you'll just keep being sexy," he winked, attacking her neck with his lips. He started moving up her neck slowly, soon reaching her mouth. Haley tried to keep a conscious mind, the feel of Nathan's soft lips usually taking her to another galaxy. She unwillingly detached her mouth from his.

"Nope. I'm mad at you, remember?" Haley said, taking a deep breath. Nathan sighed, running his fingers through her hair.

"Yeah," he said sadly. He gave his best puppy dog eyes, his bottom lip pouting slightly. Even though Haley knew he was faking his woe, her heart still gave an aching tug, making sure that she knew that she was the reason for that adorable/heartbreaking face. She bit her bottom lip, studying Nathan's upset expression.

"Fine," Haley mumbled, caving. Nathan's eye's lit up in an instant, his lips kissing hers fiercley.

"I love you," he whispered against her mouth, ducking his head into the crook of her neck, kissing it softly.

"I love you too," Haley responded inbetween breaths. She brought his face back up to hers and kissed him hard, removing his shirt to reveal his rock hard abs. Her hands automatically went to them, her fingers sending tingles through his body as they danced along his stomach. His hands moved cautiously up her torso, removing her shirt. He marvelled at how amazingly perfect Haley was.

"I think we should continue this upstairs," Haley suggested. Nathan nodded in agreement.

"Upstairs."  
**  
-Later- **

"Are you still mad at me?" Nathan murmured, his finger softly rubbing Haley's forearm. They were situated comfortably on their bed, their naked bodies covered by the bed sheets. Nathan's arm was wrapped securely around Haley's waist, her body pushed right up against his hip.

"Hmm. Yeah, a little," Haley replied, looking up at Nathan. His eyebrow cocked before he smiled slightly.

"Well, you _were_ screaming my name not too long ago," he teased, earning himself a slap from Haley.

"Not nice," Haley chastised.

"It's the truth, babe." Nathan kissed the top of Haley's head before he turned serious.

"But really, I'm just worried about you and the baby. I love you more than anything, and I love this baby too. I don't want anything bad to happen to either of you, like a miscarriage, so I'm taking precautions. I didn't mean for you to get mad at me," Nathan muttered. Haley's heart broke as she heard how bothered Nathan was by the fact of a miscarriage, or something happening to her or the baby in general. It got Haley to wonder how she hadn't had a miscarriage with Jamie. She was 17, had barely any money, got in a car accident, her husband was caught point shaving, she had tons of stress on her shoulders. Maybe Nathan was realizing now how little they thought of relieving Haley of stress back then, and was trying to correct his mistakes now.

"I'm not mad at you anymore," Haley whispered, her voice full of love. A tear slipped out of the corner of her eye as she brought her face up to Nathans, connecting their lips. When they pulled back, more tears were falling from Haley's eyes.

"What's wrong baby?" Nathan chuckled, wiping the tears with his thumb. Haley started crying more when he touched her.

"You're just...so...amazing," she choked out. "I love you so much."

Nathan couldn't help but smile at how oversensitive Haley was being. Must be the hormones.

"I love you more," he replied, kissing her forehead. Soon, after Haley's crying subsided, Nathan turned on the tv. Naturally, it was already on Sports Centre.

"In other news in the basketball world, Nathan Scott's agent, Clay Evans, and his girlfriend, Nathan Scott's wife, and famous singer, Haley James Scott,'s sister, Quinn James, were shot by a woman named Katie Ryan. Ryan was a tennis player who was trying to get Evans to sign her. When Evans refused, Ryan started pretending she was Evan's deceased wife, Sarah. On the same night that Ryan shot Evans and James, she threatened to shoot Scott and his wife. Their good friend, and famous fashion designer, Brooke Davis, came to their resuce, shooting Ryan, watching her take her final breath. We have yet to hear a comment from Scott. Evans is in the hospital, undergoing heart surgery, and James seems to be okay, only getting shot in the arm. In hockey news, the Chicago..." Nathan flicked off the tv, tossing the remote to the side. He groaned, putting his hand to his head.

"Ugh, the press is going to be_ all over _us!" he exclaimed, rubbing his forehead. Haley's brow furrowed with worry.

"This sucks," she concluded.

"Stupid paparazzi asking stupid questions, dumb reporters asking dumb questions, idiotic news people asking idiotc questions!" Nathan growled. Haley turned to face him. She cupped her hand around his cheek, a trick she used whenever he was worked up, sad, or just in need of a little love.

"Shh. We can get through it together, remember? We've gone through everything together. I think we can handle a few reporters." Haley said. Nathan closed his eyes, putting his hand over the one that was on his cheek.

"Yeah?" he whispered, kissing Haley's hand.

"Yes." Haley confirmed. "Okay, let's go to the hospital."

**-Outside their house-**

"Nathan Scott! Is it true that you threatned to kill Katie Ryans because she shot your agent?"

"Nathan! Over here! Is it true that you were going to let Haley die?"

"Haley! Would you take a bullet for Nathan?"

Nathan wrapped his arm protectively around Haley's waist, shielding her from the annoying paparazzi. They quickly made their way to the Range Rover, Nathan opening Haley's door for her, making sure she was safely in. He jogged over to his side of the car and hopped in.

"Oh my God," Nathan breathed, running his hands through his hair. Haley looked at him before rolling down her window.

"I would take a bullet for my husband," she commented, rolling up her window quickly. Nathan watched her with wide eyes.

"What? I had to set them straight," Haley said nonchalantly. Nathan shook his head and chuckled before backing out of the driveway.

**-At the hospital-  
**  
The walk into the hospital was the same - if not harder, since it was a public place - as the walk to their car. Blinding lights flashing everywhere, a million questions being asked at once. That was the price Nathan and Haley had to pay for being famous _and_ married to eachother.

Nathan and Haley walked hand in hand into Quinn's room, where they saw her fully clothed, gathering up her things. Haley went up to her and hugged her, Nathan doing the same thing.

"How are you?" Haley asked, her eyes full of concern.

"I'm good. My arm's okay, I'm okay. But I'm worried sick about Clay still." she admitted. "I don't even know how he's doing." Nathan and Haley nodded solemly, looking at the floor. As if on cue, Dr. Rivers walked in a couple seconds later.

"Oh, Nathan, Haley, hello there," he smiled. "I was just checking up on Quinn. Have you got all your stuff?"

Quinn nodded.

"Okay wonderful. Now, Clay is undergoing heart surgery at the moment, we've got a heart donor, and so far, everything is running smoothly." Quinn let out a sigh of relief. Nathan and Haley smiled slightly at the good news. "He should be out by midnight tonight if everything works out perfectly, but we won't allow visitors for a couple of days. We'll call you if anything drastic happens, and we'll also call you when he is out of surgery and give you an update," Dr. Rivers said. Nathan, Haley and Quinn nodded.

"Thank you so much, for everything," Haley said graciously. And she meant it. Dr. Rivers had been working non-stop for them, and it made Haley feel a little guilty.

Dr. Rivers smiled warmly. "Oh my pleasure. Now you three go home and get more rest. That's what's important right now."

"Okay, thanks," Nathan said as they filed out of the room.

"We should go get Jamie from Brooke's," Haley said to Nathan, interlocking her fingers with his.

"Yeah, good idea."

"Oh and Quinney, be prepared for chaos," Haley warned her sister as they stepped out the door. They all ran to the car, Quinn screaming.

"My God!" She exclaimed once they were in the car. Nathan sped off, leaving the reporters in his dust.

"They usually only come around for big stories," Nathan said. "And this is a big story."

"Wow," Quinn said, clearly still perturbed. Nathan and Haley dropped Quinn off at their house, -relieved to see the paparazzi had left- and went to pick up Jamie.

**-At Brooke's-  
**  
"Mom, dad!" Jamie shouted, running over to his parents. Haley smiled and picked him up, hugging him closely.

"Hey, bud!" She exclaimed. "I missed you."

"I missed you too. How's Uncle Clay and Aunt Quinn?" Jamie asked. Nathan and Haley exchanged a look before Haley explained.

"Aunt Quinn is doing well, she's at home now, so you'll get to see her. Uncle Clay is still in the hospital though, but he'll be okay," Haley smiled. "They also caught the person who did these bad things to them," she added, not wanting to tell Jamie the story of the Kaite - Nathan showdown.

"That's good," Jamie sighed, as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

"Thanks for everything, Brooke," Nathan said as Haley put Jamie on the ground.

"Bye Brooke!" Jamie said, hugging her. Brooke smiled down at her favorite little kid.

"Bye Jame. Love you."

Nathan and Jamie made their way to their car, Haley staying inside for a moment.

"You didn't have the sports channel on, did you?" Haley asked, remembering the story on Sports Centre.

"No, imagine Julian would want to put sports on," Brooke chuckled. Julian walked around the corner, wrapping his arms around Brooke's torso.

"Hey. I heard that," he said, smiling at Haley. Julian kissed Brooke's temple, causing Brooke to blush slightly. Haley gushed at how adorable Brooke and Julian were. She was so happy Brooke had finally found someone for herself.

"Okay thanks, like we talked about yesterday, Nathan and I are not going to tell Jamie about you shooting Katie, and her threatening to shoot us. That'll scare Jamie to no end."

Brooke nodded. "Yeah, that's the last thing we want."

The horn of the Range Rover honked obnoxiously. Haley peeked out the door, holding up her index finger.

"Okay, thanks so much Brooke. See you later Julian," Haley said, leaving the couple. She walked back to the Range Rover and got in. When she closed the door, the shrieking began.

"BROOKE SHOT KATIE? KATIE WAS GOING TO SHOOT YOU? KATIE WAS GOING TO SHOOT DAD? YOU SAID BROOKE WAS A GOOD PERSON, BUT SHE KILLED SOMEONE!" Jamie shouted frantically, jittering in his seat. Haley glared at Nathan.

"It was on the radio!" Nathan defended, throwing his hands up in the air. Haley looked back at Jamie, tears falling down his face. She got out of the front seat and went to join him in the back. She pulled him onto her lap, wrapping her arms around him, and put the seatbelt around the both of them.

"Drive," she said to Nathan. She looked at Jamie sympathetically, wiping away his tears.

"Jamie, Katie was a bad person, and did bad things to Uncle Clay and Aunt Quinn. She also did bad things to me and your daddy. Brooke _saved_ us. So don't be mad that Brooke did something bad to Katie, because Katie's the bad person. And Katie's gone now, so you don't have to worry about her," Haley said soothingly, kissing the top of Jamie's head. His crying had slowed down at this new knowledge of information.

"Okay," he sighed, snuggling up to Haley. "Can I sleep in your and dad's room tonight?" he asked, peering his bloodshot eyes up at Haley.

"Of course," Haley said. "I love you, Jamie."

"I love you too, Momma."

Nathan finally pulled up to their house, walking over to Jamie and Haley's car door. He opened it up for them, and Jamie hopped down, running to the front door. Haley narrowed her eyes at Nathan before continuing to the door. Nathan sighed, slamming the door shut and locking the car.

Jamie ran upstairs to Quinn's room, leaving Nathan and Haley alone. Haley took off her shoes and stalked into the kitchen.

"Haley..."

"Nathan, we _just_ watched Sports Centre less than an hour ago, and they had the story. What, did you think, that the radio wouldn't be telling it?" She exclaimed, her eyes livid. "We're supposed to _protect_ Jamie from these things, not throw them right in his face!"

"Wait, you think that I intentionally put it on, just to scare Jamie?" Nathan asked, his voice matching her anger. Haley put her hand on the counter, her wedding ring making a _ding_ when it hit the cold, hard surface.

"No, I just think that you were being careless."

"I think I made a _mistake_. Sorry that I don't reach your perfect standards," Nathan shot back. Haley's jaw dropped for a second, but she quickly recovered.

"I'm not fighting with you. I'm not going to get all worked up and cause the baby stress," Haley growled. "And I recall _you _not wanting to cause it any stress either. I guess I was wrong." She added, grabbing her purse and keys, leaving the house with a slam. She took off in her new red car, heading to the one place that could calm her down.

Haley pulled up at Tric, and walked into the recording studio. She put her purse on the table, and walked over to the piano. She hadn't played in a while; she didn't have access to hers at home anymore, and she never really came to Tric anymore since she walked off the set of her music video. Haley remembered them saying that they'd postpone the video for a couple of weeks, but trying to remember what life was like back then was hazy, as if she had to look through a dark cloud to remember things from her depression.

Haley started playing the keys softly, making up a gentle melody on the spot. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, exhaling through her nose. She kept up the soothing melody, soon taking away all the stress she and everyone in her family was going through. It was only her and the piano.

**-With Nathan-**

Nathan took off in the Range Rover, determined to find Haley. He had been stupid, fighting with her, making her more apprehensive than she already was. He needed to make it up to her somehow.

Nathan drove down by the rivercourt, passing their old tutor spot. Life had been so simple back then, the only problems concerning him being trying to sabatoge Lucas. He kept on driving until he passed Tric. He saw a flicker of red when he passed it, so he stopped the car on the opposite side of the road from Tric. He cocked his head to the side to get a full view of Haley's car parked in the parking lot.

Then an idea popped in Nathan's head.

**-With Haley-**

About an hour later, Haley checked her phone clock. 7:30 pm. It had been an hour since her and Nathan had argued. Looking back on it now, Haley realized that she overreacted. She knew Nathan, and she knew he would _never_ do anything to upset Jamie. She needed to apologize to him, so she grabbed her purse and left the studio feeling calm satisfied.

She drove into the driveway, the Range Rover still there. She got out and walked into the house, hearing coo's coming from Jamie and Quinn.

"Dad, this is _awesome_!" Haley heard Jamie express. She walked through the kitchen, following the enuthsiastic voices.

Nathan, Jamie, and Quinn looked up at Haley's presence as she came face to face with her new grand piano.

"Oh my goodess. What _is_ this?" She gasped, walking over to the three of them.

"It's a piano, mamma!" Jamie exclaimed, flashing her a big smile. Haley's eyes widened down at him, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She touched the middle C note slightly, testing the pianos tune. It was perfect. The whole thing was beautiful, the way the light from the window behind them reflected off the notes, creating a deep shadow on the wall to the left of them. Haley loved it.

"Come on, Jame. I'll play you in NBA Live!" Quinn said. Jamie nodded happily, and the two of them went upstairs giving Nathan and Haley some privacy.

"Well, I was thinking of getting you one for your next birthday, but that's kind of far away, and you deserve it, after everything you've been through, including putting up with a careless husband," he said, his hands snaking around her waist. "'I'm sorry, I should have been more careful around Jamie, and I should have known not to turn the radio on. You're right, we should be protecting him from these things. I was being stupid," he murmured. Haley's eyes became glossy as she pulled herself into Nathan's chest.

"No, I was overreacting," she mumbled in his shirt. "You didn't do anything wrong. _I'm _sorry. Will you forgive me?" Haley looked up at him with expectant eyes.

"Of course," he whispered, angling his head down so he could kiss her sweetly. They pulled back, and Haley let go of Nathan to sit down at her piano.

"I love it, by the way. Thank you," she said, her fingers barely touching the keys. Nathan sat beside her on the piano. Haley leaned her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. The moment was so still and peaceful, they could have stayed that way forever. Well, atleast until a loud grumbling noise came from Haley's stomach. Nathan smiled at her, Haley knowing exactly what he was about to say.

"One turkey sandwich, coming right up."

**Okay, there's chapter 6. (:  
Thanks for reading!**


	8. I'm reaaaallly dumb

Hi guys. 

Yes. I was stupid and deleted the Author's Note chapter, because I thought it was kind of pointless.  
But no, there was indeed a point.  
I realized that there would be a whole commenting problem thing, so I went to fix it, and yeah, it takes like 30 minutes to fix itself, so you might see two chapters labelled "Turkey Sandwiches" and "Turkey Sandwich" , but really, one of the chapters was "Squeeze" but was labelled "Turkey Sandwich" because I _also _messed up all the names. :/ *slaps forehead*  
But everything should be back to normal in about 20 minutes hehe.

Sorry for all the confusion! (:


	9. Texting

**Disclaimer: I don't own OTH.  
**_**  
Summary: He had taken a part of her heart with him when he left, and even the slightest mention of him made her heart swell.  
**_

"Daddy, is momma gonna die?"

Jamie sat at the kitchen table, his question still hanging in the air. His innocence and naiveness make him susceptible to thinking the worst-case scenerio in situations like this. Haley had always been a trooper infront of Jamie, refusing advil when she had a headahce, turning down cough drops when she had a cold. So it was odd -and quite frankly, a bit scary- for Jamie when he saw his mother run to the bathroom for the 3rd time that morning, hearing gurgling and barfing noises coming from it. Jamie had followed them the first time, but Nathan had shooed him out, convincing his son that Haley was okay. They didn't want to tell Jamie about Haley being pregnant just yet, incase of any -knock on wood- complications.

Nathan and Haley walked back from the bathroom, Haley's hair half fallen out of the once messy bun. Nathan rubbed her back as she took her spot back at the kitchen table, staring at her cereal. Jamie eyed his mom suspiciously.

"Are you okay, momma?" Jamie asked. Haley couldn't help but smile at Jamie's forthrightness.

Haley nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay bud."

Jamie didn't look convinced, so Nathan spoke up.

"Mom's just feeling a little sick, Jame. You know when your tummy feels upset sometimes?"

Jamie nodded.

"Like that," Nathan said, his gaze landing on Haley, who was watching Jamie's reaction. Jamie nodded slowly, scratching his blonde hair.

"Like that one time, when my tummy _really_ hurt, and momma gave me some medicine and made it go away?" He asked. Nathan and Haley smiled at eachother, reminiscing on Jamie's first stomach ache when he was 3. He was convinced a monster was growing inside of him.

"Kind of," Haley replied, taking a spoonful of cereal. Nathan finished cutting up some bananas and strawberries and handed the bowl of fruit over to Jamie and took a seat in between Haley and Jamie.

Jamie stabbed a strawberry and plopped it in his mouth, chewing loudly. "Then why don't you take that medicine, momma?"

"This doesn't really require medicine," Haley said. Jamie took another bite of his fruit, before starting another question.

"But..."

"Morning," Quinn said sleepily, trudging down the stairs at a snail pace. Jamie stopped his question, watching Quinn slump down the stairs. He rarely saw his happy-go-lucky aunt like this.

"Whoa, what _happened _to you?" Jamie asked, his eyes widening. Haley shot him a warning look.

Quinn yawned, stretching her arms out. "Couldn't sleep. Up all night worrying about Clay." She caught her reflection in the toaster. "Jeeze, I didn't think I looked _this _bad." She smoothed her greasy hair into a low ponytail at the back of her neck, and made a large cup of coffee, taking a seat beside Jamie.

"I don't think that coffee is going to help you if you want to take a nap," Haley said, taking a bite of cereal.

"No, I don't want to sleep. I need to be awake to hear the phone call from Dr. Rivers," she said, taking a large gulp of coffee. Nathan nodded his head. 

"I know what you mean. Back in high school, when Haley got hit by the car, I couldn't sleep. I wouldn't let myself sleep, actually. Just having that feeling that you could miss something while you're asleep was reason enough for me to stay awake."

"That must've been a nightmare." Quinn said. "I mean, having your wife and unborn son in the hospital, not knowing if they're going to live. I'm not even close to marriage with Clay and I'm having sleepless nights."

"It was worse knowing that I was the reason that their lives were endangered." Nathan shuddered at the thought. Haley rubbed his arm, knowing that it was hard for him to relive that terrible night.

"You mean YOU were the one that hit momma?" Jamie exclaimed, dropping his fork. Haley shook her head quickly.

"No, no," Haley said. "It's complicated, Jame. But your father never meant for that to happen, he would never do that to you."

"Or you," Nathan added, grabbing Haley's hand underneath the table and giving it a squeeze. Haley blushed.

"Yeah, but I already knew that." Haley reasoned, letting go of Nathan's hand and returning to work on her cereal. "He apologized like, 12 times a minute," Haley said to Quinn and Jamie. Jamie finished his fruit and got up from the table.

"Mom, dad, your life sounded really complicated. I just want to go to school, come home, and play xbox. Is that going to change when I get older?" Jamie asked, the innocence returning to his voice. Quinn, Nathan, and Haley, all exchanged a look.

"Definitely," they all said in unison, chuckles errupting from their chests. Jamie looked at them weirdly. With a shrug of his shoulders and a crinkle in his eyebrows, he left the kitchen. The three adults sighed.

"So, I heard all the gruesome sounds coming from the bathroom earlier. What's that all about?" Quinn asked, her eyebrows raising. Haley looked down at her cereal, trying to contain an incoming smile. Nathan wasn't so succesful in his attempts to hide his happiness.

"YOU'RE _SO_ PREG-"

"Shhh!" Haley exclaimed while Nathan quickly covered Quinn's mouth with his hand. Quinn removed Nathan's hand from her mouth, and tried again in a soft - but excited - whisper. 

"You're _so_ pregnant!"

Nathan and Haley looked at eachother, giggling. Quinn couldn't help but smile inspite of herself at her adorable sister and brother in law. "I'm thinking you should name it Rose if it's a girl, and Ethan if it's a guy."

"We found out like, 2 days ago Quinney." Haley said, taking her finished bowl of cereal to the kitchen sink. "So that's why we don't want anyone, _especially_ Jamie to know. Only you, Nathan, and Brooke know. Brooke guessed it too."

"It's a girl thing," Quinn said, her voice muffled by the coffee in her mouth. "We just know these things."

"That's why I have a hunch that it's going to be a girl," Haley whispered, just in case Jamie heard. She went back to the kitchen table, taking her seat beside Nathan. He enclosed his fingers over hers again, loving the warmth they raidated.

"Yeah, I didn't even have a chance to say anything when she told me, and then when added that she thought it was going to be a girl, I was speechless," Nathan smiled, remembering the not so distant past.

"I'm so happy for -" Quinn cut herself off when she heard the shrill ring of the telephone. She leaped out of her seat, almost flying across the kitchen to catch the still ringing phone.

"Is Clay okay?" She spat out, not having time to catch her breath. Her eyes were wide, her brow furrowed. "Oh, okay," she said glumly before walking over to hand the phone to Nathan. "It's for you."

Nathan took the phone out of her hand. "Hello? Yes, this is Nathan Scott. No, my agent is fine. I don't want a new one," Nathan said sternley, walking out of the kitchen. Quinn and Haley looked at eachother expectantly. Was Nathan going to get a new agent? They heard his voice faintly, straining their ears to catch exactly what he was saying.

"With all due respect, Sir, I thought I didn't have to go back for another two weeks..." Nathan said, trailing off. A lightbulb went off in Haley's head. The off-season was almost over for Nathan, which meant that she was going to have to handle her pregnancy alone. Her heart dropped at this new found knowledge.

"But I wanted more time with my family..." They heard Nathan sigh frustratedly. "Okay. Yes, once Clay gets out of the hospital. Alright, bye." Nathan said, sighing once more. They heard him walking back to the kitchen, so the two sisters quickly went back to their original spots.

Nathan walked in to see Haley and Quinn engrossed in some conversation they were having. Haley looked up at Nathan's presence.

"What was that all about?" She asked, even though she already knew. Quinn got up from the table, refilling her coffee cup.

"I'll leave you two alone," she said, exiting the kitchen. Nathan sat down beside Haley, his face disgruntled.

"They want me to go back to Charlotte once Clay gets permission to leave the hospital," he said, his face falling with each word he said. Haley instinctively put her hands over her stomach, making Nathan feel worse about their current predicament. "I mean, who's going to be here when you're feeling sick? Or when you're crying from hormones or something, who'll be there for you? Or doctors appointments? I want to see our baby's heartbeat." 

Haley shook her head, "Nate, you're just leaving two weeks early, you would be missing all that stuff anyways," she reasoned, trying to make him feel better. He took her hands in his, rubbing his thumbs over her hands. Haley started to tear up as she thought of the long nine months she had ahead of her, only seeing Nathan a couple times in that long period.

"We did it last season, but it's different this season." Nathan whispered, moving their hands over her stomach. Haley nodded, sniffling quietly. Nathan leaned his head againts Haley's, kissing her nose gentley.

"We'll make it work," Haley said, convincing herself more than Nathan. A lonley tear rolled down her cheek as she breathed in Nathan's intoxicating scent. She studied his perfect lips before kissing him, as if it was the last time she would ever see him again. Nathan held her closely, and when they broke apart, he pulled her into his lap, consoling Haley as she tried to contain her weeps.

"Shh. We'll make it work, baby. We can do this. This baby is going to be amazing. And you know why?" Nathan breathed huskily. Haley shook her head. "Because she has the best mom in the world."

Haley rolled her eyes sadly. "I'll miss you," she said, her voice trembling. Nathan pulled her more securely into his chest.

"I'll miss you more." He promised, kissing her hair. "But you have to make a deal with me." 

Haley raised an eyebrow. "Alright..."

"You have to promise me that you'll work on your music some more, okay? You're fans are probably getting impatient waiting for that new music video for Flying Machine to come out. And I was also hoping that your new piano would be somewhat of an inspiration to start playing again?" He asked, his eyes hopeful. Haley smiled at her husband, most of her tears gone. She nodded her head before leaning back to shake his hand.

"Deal."

***

A few hours later, Haley decided to take Nathan up on his deal. She sat down at the piano nervously, having the familiar butterfly-in-your-stomach feeling she always got when she was a little girl playing at her piano recitals. Nathan and Jamie leaned expectantly over the piano, waiting for Haley to commence. She took a deep breath, and slowly started playing the acoustic piano version of "Flying Machine". Her fingers flowed smoothly over the new keys as she picked up her staccato once she got to the chorus. A strange sense of belonging fell over Haley by the second verse, and in that instant, she knew that she was going to be okay. She was slowly getting bits and pieces back of the old Haley when they returned form Utah, and the return of her music made her feel whole again. Like she had a place, meaning, and sense in the world. She finished off with the final chord, smiling up as Nathan and Jamie clapped profusely. Jamie jogged hurriedly around the large piano before leaping into his mother's arms.

"That was great, momma!"

"Thanks little man!" She exclaimed, hugging her son lovingly. He pulled away and jumped off his mom, letting Nathan hug her. Haley stood up so their heights were more equal, before she was engulfed by Nathan's large arms.

"Hales, that was amazing," he whispered, his lips tickling her ear. Haley smiled in Nathan's shoulder.

"Thank you," she said, her voice low. Nathan held her tighter before pulling back slightly. He kissed her fervidly, his lips hot against hers. In their own little world, they had completly forgotten about Jamie.

"Ew!" Their son exclaimed as he stood beside his parents makeout session. Nathan and Haley jumped back, startled to hear Jamie. They looked down at him, his mouth twisted in disgust. Nathan and Haley had to laugh.

"It's not funny! I thought I was going to barf!" Jamie expressed. Just to tease him, Nathan started kissing Haley more passionately than before.

"Ahh!" Jamie shrieked as he covered his eyes and booked it out of the living room. Nathan and Haley pulled back, giggling in unison. Quinn came down the stairs looking showered and crisp, a complete contrast from that morning.

"Did Jamie just see the grim reaper or something?" She asked jokingly.

"Nah. I remember when I was a little kid, when I saw my parents show even the slightest of intimacy, I squirmed and screamed. Jamie took it quite well, I guess." Nathan said, shrugging his shoulders. Haley and Quinn looked at the floor awkwardly, the tension building. It took Nathan a second to realize that he probably pinched a nerve when he talked about his parents. 

"Oh, I'm really sorr-" 

_Ring! Ring! Ring!_ The phone rang obnoxiously again, cutting the tension as Quinn ran to get the phone. Haley touched Nathan's arm softly. "It's okay. I'm okay," she reassured. Nathan nodded his head, still feeling bad about bringing up his parents. Haley's attention switched to Quinn, who was listening intentley on the phone. Her eyes were focused on whatever was infront of her, her expression unreadable. She nodded her head slowly before she said goodbye.

"Clay's out of surgery, and everything went smoothly!" Quinn smiled, hopping up and down on the spot. Nathan smiled, sighing a sigh of relief. Haley simply looked up to the ceiling, having this sense that her mother had something to do with this. She walked over to Quinn, pulling her into a hug.

"I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders," She said as they pulled away. Haley turned to Nathan, hugging him as well.

"This is amazing," Haley said, taking Nathan's hand. 

"Dr. Rivers said we could go visit him now! Oh I'm so happy! I'll go get Jamie!" Quinn exclaimed, happiness clearly bubbling heavily through her. Nathan watched Haley as she turned to him.

"Let's go see him!"

***

Nathan and Haley had driven Quinn and Jamie to the hospital without any rucus from papparazi or reporters. The story had seemingly blown over with the newfound knowledge of everyone being okay. Nathan and Haley had let Quinn go see Clay alone for a few minutes, giving them some privacy. Quinn stuck her head out from Clay's room, tear tracks clear and visible on her cheeks.

"Okay, you guys can come in now!"

Jamie hopped out of his seat, sprinting towards Clay's room. Nathan and Haley giggled when they heard a very excited "Uncle Clay!" come from the room, followed by a loud thump. The first thing they saw when they entered the room was Jamie sitting on Clay's bed, a smile spread across Clay's face.

"I think Jamie just set a record for long jump. He launched himself from the door all the way to my bed in one leap!" Clay laughed, welcoming Nathan and Haley. Nathan walked over to Clay, slapping his hand and giving him a hug. Haley did the same after.

"Ahh, I'm so glad you're okay man. You had me worried sick!" Nathan said.

"Yeah, well, these things happen, you know. Pyscho stalkers threatening the lives of my friends and family. Everyday situations." Clay joked. Haley was happy to see that he was already himself after endless hours of surgery.

"How are you feeling?" She asked, always the first to be concerned about people's health.

"I actually feel awesome. Different heart, same person though." Everyone laughed at Clay's cheesy remarks. Dr. Rivers walked in to see cheerfullness in the room.

"Well hello everyone!" Dr. Rivers said. Everyone turned at his voice.

"Hey Dr. Rivers!" Jamie said, waving his hand. Dr. Rivers waved back at him. He loved Jamie. 

"So Clay, you can leave in two days. I want you to buy a heart rate monitor just in case though. Everything else seems fine, we just need you to rest in here for two more days. Also, avoid any physical activities for about two weeks, okay?" 

Clay nodded, while Nathan and Haley's hearts sank. Two days.

*** **Three Days Later  
**

Clay had finally returned to his beach house, which had been cleaned up and repaired, no trace of Katie ever being there. Nathan had informed Clay on how they had to leave for Charlotte two weeks early, and they left the day before, leaving a teary-eyed Quinn and Haley alone at home with Jamie. Haley knew she couldn't call Nathan until night time, just incase he was in meetings or press, so she decided to fufill her need for Nathan by simply texting him. 

_**3 days or 3 seconds? I miss you already.**_She texted, getting a reply almost instantly.

_**Definitely 3 seconds. Maybe the months will pass as fast as these days have. But they seem to be slowing down without you or Jamie here. Look, I've got to go do some press now, but watch Sports Centre at 7:00 okay? That's when my interview will be up. I love you and miss you. **_He replied. Haley sighed, putting her phone down on the piano as she started to play, making up a soft melody. She remembered her last moments with Nathan at the airport before he left.

_*Flashback*_

_"Flight 109, please report to the plane now. Take off in 5 minutes." The announcer spoke, her voice dull and bored. Nathan looked down at Haley, who had had tears in her eyes the moment they woke up that morning. They hadn't spilled over yet, but Nathan had a feeling they would soon._

"That's my flight," he said before Haley started sobbing. "Come here," he whispered, holding her tightly against the warmth of his body. He knew that normally she wouldn't be crying this much, but she had another life to take care of now -alone- and on top of that, probably some of the tears were the hormones talking.

"I'll miss you so much," she mumbled in his chest, her tears still flowing. Nathan heard the slight break in her voice, causing him to become emotional as well. A few tears escaped his eyes before he pulled away.

"One more deal," He said, wiping away Haley's tears with his thumb. Haley nodded. "Please don't be too sad, stressed, or anything that could harm you or the baby. I need you, Haley," he said, his eyes locking with hers.  


_"I promise. Go play your heart out. Jamie and I will be watching every game," she choked out through her sobs. Nathan pulled her close again, kissing her hair before he duked his head and kissed her with as much love and passion that he contained. Haley kissed him back, not caring how many people were watching them.  
_

_"Flight 109, take off in 2 minutes. All last minute passengers come aboard immediately."_

Nathan grunted and pulled away from Haley unwillingly.

"Bye, I love you," she said, distangling herself from him. A few more tears escaped from the corner of his eye as he backed away.

"I love you more."  


_*End of Flashback*  
_

Haley stopped her piano playing and texted Nathan once more time.

**I love you more. **She typed, before she regained her playing.

*****At 7:00.**

It was a friday night, which meant that Jamie was over at Chucks. Quinn was up in her room, sad that she only had two days with Clay before he left again. Haley was watching the tv, waiting for Nathan's interview to come on. A few seconds later, her phone beeped. 

**You watching? **Nathan asked. Haley started to reply before she hear Nathan's voice from the tv.

"So, Nathan, you're here two weeks early, sent by your coach. What was it like leaving Tree Hill before your time?" The interviewer asked. Nathan's face obviously fell a little bit as he thought of Haley and Jamie back home. 

"For lack of better words, it honestly sucked," Nathan chuckled sadly. "But I have the most awesome son and the best wife in the whole world supporting me back at home, so knowing that makes everything better."

The interviwer nodded. "There were some emotional pictures released of you and your wife, Haley, at the airport before you left. You seem to still be in love after so many years together. What compelled you to marry her when you were 16?" 

Nathan smiled at the mention of Haley's name. "I don't know, I guess I was just so in love with her, she completly changed who I used to be, into who I am today. I knew she was the one, so why not marry her then, instead of waiting our whole lives to feel the same way about eachother as we did when we were 16? She thought I was crazy at first, but she agreed."

"Are you two the same couple you were when you were 16?" The interviewer asked.

"We're definitely stronger. I mean, there have been some tough times, but we've always remained loving each other, and supporting eachother. I think that those tough times make us stronger and a better couple." Nathan said, his smile becoming permanent.

"Well, you two seem very stable." 

"Yeah, we are. I love her more than she'll ever know."

"So, what are your game plans for this next season?"

Haley paused the tv, more tears streaming down her eyes. She clicked speed dial number 2, needing to talk to Nathan, not text him. 

"Hey," he breathed. Just at the sound of his voice, Haley felt more whole. He had taken a part of her heart with him when he left, and even the slightest mention of him made her heart swell.

"Nice interview," she said, making her voice sound normal despite the tears that still fell. She didn't need Nathan worrying about her.

"You think? I liked it too." He replied.

"How's everything down there?" Haley asked, clutching her phone as if holding it closer would bring Nathan closer.

"Pretty good, Clay's been sad though, he misses Quinn a lot." Haley nodded as she opened her mouth to speak, but Nathan spoke sooner. "Not as much as I miss you though," he added.

"Yeah, it feels emptier without you here." Haley said. "Holllow." In the backround, she heard people calling Nathan's name. She heard Nathan sigh.

"More reporters are calling me. I gotta go babe. I'll text you before bed. Love you," he said before hanging up. 

"Love you too," Haley said sadly to the dial tone. She got up from the couch, suddenly feeling really tired. Must be the baby. She put on her pj's and crawled into bed, feeling the coldness where Nathan usually slept. She picked up a book and read it for about half an hour before she heard her phone beep again. 

**Had a feeling you might be going to bed early because of the baby. If you're not, let me know and I'll text you later. But if you are, then goodnight, I love you. I'll be pretending you're here with me, when it's actually Clay... in a different bed, don't worry, lol.**

Haley smiled at her goofy husband. She typed back before she fell into a deep slumber.

**Should I be worried about Clay? No, I need to keep up my deal. Must. Not. Worry. Okay, I'm going to sleep, I love you.  
**

In the mess of all the reporters in one room with Nathan and his fellow teammates, Nathan read his new text. And suddenly, even though Haley wasn't there, it felt as if it was only him and Haley alone. She had that ability; to make him feel like he was the only man alive. He slipped his phone back into his pocket as another reporter came up to him, asking him mindless questions about his game and how he was feeling going into the new season, that he could answer in his sleep. His mind was consantly on Haley, and it always would be, for the next 9 months.

**Phew.  
Okay so that was one hard chapter to end! haha. I had no idea how to finish it, so bear with me here.  
Chapter 8 will be coming soon!**


	10. 24 Hours

**Summary: **_**Two months didn't seem like a lot to some people, but to Nathan and Haley, two months felt like two years.**_**  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own OTH, Coach, the Bobcats or the Raptors.**

"Nathan Scott goes for the three-pointer, the Bobcats tied with the Raptors. Nathan Scott shoots, 3 POINTS! The Bobcats win their eighth game of the season!" The commentator exclaimed. 

"Yaaaaaaaaaaay!" Jamie shouted, jumping on the couch as if it was a trampoline. Haley's smile widened with Nathan's as his teammates englufed him, slapping his back and giving him high-fives. Haley would have given her right arm to be one of those guys, getting to touch Nathan, even if it was for a fraction of a second from a high-five. But then again, those guys weren't the ones that stayed up from 10:00 pm until 3:00 am talking to Nathan on the phone. Once Jamie was fast asleep, Haley would call Nathan, and almost every single night since he had left, they had talked until the wee hours of the morning.

"Nathan," she would say, muffling yawns with her hand. "You have a game tomorrow. No, you have a game _today_. It's two am babe. We should really stop talking." 

Nathan would smile at his wife's rationale, but would never want to hang up. "Are you trying to get off the phone with me, James? That hurts." 

"How can you even joke at this hour? I'm about to pass out." She would say, yawning loudly just to prove Nathan a point.

"Okay, okay. I guess I should get some sleep too. Clay's glaring at me anyways." Nathan sighed. He always hated hanging up with her. "I kinda like you, you know that right?"

Haley would smile at Nathan's jokes, always meant to make her smile. "Yup. I'm warming up to you too." 

They would say their goodnights, er, good_mornings_, their "I love you"'s, and hang up. And every single night, the same process occured. It had been two months since Nathan had left, and his next game was in Charlotte, where Haley and Jamie were going to stay in his and Clay's house they had there. The two of them until they could finally see Nathan. Two months didn't seem like a lot to some people, but to Nathan and Haley, two months felt like two years. Haley would get really lonley at some points, even stooping so slow as to crying herself to sleep some nights after her and Nathan had hung up. She never knew if Nathan was feeling the same emptiness without her with him, but she felt his absence down to her core.

"Mom! When can I start packing for our trip to Charlotte?" Jamie exclaimed, grabbing his mother's hands, motioning for her to jump up and down with him. 

"At. The. End. Of. The. Week. Jame." Haley said inbetween jumps. Her and Jamie stopped in unison, both laughing while gasping for air after their mini-workout.

"Okay," Jamie sighed. "I have to wait until Friday?"

"Yup. We're going from Friday to Sunday bud." Haley said, patting Jamie's bum as they made their way up the stairs. Jamie stood in the doorframe of his bedroom. 

"Okay. Goodnight momma," Jamie said, hugging Haley.

"Love you Jame." She whispered, kissing his forehead. Haley sprinted to her bedroom, her phone already in her hands. She sat down on her bed, and as she was just about to call Nathan, she got a text from him instead.

**Hey. Can't talk tonight. Srry.**

Haley raised her eyebrow at Nathan's crypitc message. She checked over it a couple times, making sure there was atleast an "I love you" or a "Goodnight" or _something_. But nope, only 5 simple words, one of them being a short form of a word, and one of them using an apostrophe. She knew she couldn't take this personally, a lot of things got misinterpreted over text. He could be busy with press, or with a post-game speech from his coach. She would talk to him in the morning.

*****The next morning**

The next morning, Haley woke up with a weird sense of vertigo. She sat up in her bed, instincively moving her hands to Nathan's side of the bed. She felt the cool bed sheets as the previous days events came rushing back into her memory. Her and Nathan hadn't spoke last night. Haley checked her phone to see one missed alert. She opened it to read a text that Nathan had sent her earlier that morning.

**Don't try to call me today.**

"What the..." Haley trailed off, trying to come up with reasons for Nathans weird behaviour. She put her phone down, her heart sinking inspite of herself. She poured herself a cup of coffee and looked out the window, the sun rising above the horizon. Another beep came from her phone as her gaze fixed on the screen.

**G' Morning Tutor Mom! wanna bring Jamie to COverB today? Julian wants to show him some movie equiptment since Jamie showed an interest in being a director whe Julian was still making his and Alex's movie. Text me back, xoxoxo.**

Haley sighed. At least _someone_ had wished her a good morning. She typed back to Brooke slowly.

**Yeah, sure. Jamie would love that. I'll bring him by after school.  
**

Her phone buzzed almost immediately after.

**No need, I'll just swing by and pick him up after. Have a good day, love you Tutor Mom. 3333.**

Haley put down her phone, too confused and hurt to type back an "I love you" unless it was to Nathan. She heard someone bouncing down the stairs, so she turned her head to see Quinn looking quite chipper.

"It's 6:50 am, why are you awake?" Haley asked. Quinn was known for sleeping in until at _least _2:00 pm. The two sisters usually used it as a punch line, calling it "teenage girl syndrome".

Quinn hopped over to Haley, taking a seat beside her. "Because you and me are going shopping today!" She exclaimed. Haley's eyes widened at her sister's suggestion. "Come on Hales. I know that you and I have been in a weird funk lately without Nathan or Clay here. I mean, we're crossing the two month mark, and it's hard. And with the," Quinn lowered her voice, "baby, it's _especially _hard on you. But shopping is fun, and I think it will put you in a better mood!" Quinn flashed her one million dollar smile, and before Haley knew it, she was in the Tree Hill shopping mall with Quinn by her side, holding atleast 4 bags.

"Oooooh, Coach! I love this store, come on Hales!" Quinn exclaimed, grabbing Haley's hand. Haley sighed, checking her phone for the 100th time that hour. Still no word from Nathan. Quinn dragged her into the store, where Haley immediately went to sit down on the couch, a trick she had learned after the first 5 stores they entered that day.

"Look at this purse. Oh I have just _got_ to have this one!" Haley heard Quinn gush. She checked her phone clock. 4:00 pm. They had officially been shopping for 7 hours.

"Quinney, I'm _really_ tired, can we please go home?" Haley called from the couch, too lazy to stand up. Quinn checked her phone quickly before responding to Haley.

"Not for another half an hour!" She said, way too enthusiastic. She kept on smiling at Haley to the point that Haley had to look away.

"Why are you smiling at me all creepy?" Haley laughed, her hand covering her face. She watched Quinn do a little twirl before smiling cutely at her.

"You'll see."  
**  
**Haley raised an eyebrow at Quinn, but Quinn ignored it, choosing to run over to another purse instead, asking the lady who worked there a question about it. Haley shook her head, looking down at her phone. A new message had arrived from Nathan.

**Hey. Sry, I had press.**

Haley huffed, shoving her phone in her purse. Nathan had specifically told her not to contact him that day, so she was going to follow his rules.

"Hey, you ready to go?" Quinn asked, holding a large Coach purcahse bag. Haley peered inside and saw 3 Coach bags stuffed in. 

"You _do _know how much Coach bags cost, right?" Halry clarified.

"Coming from the girl who's husband gets at _least_ twenty million dollars a year." 

Haley flinched. "Ugh, don't mention Nathan right now." 

Quinn became concerned. Haley was usually the one to want to talk about her husband. "Why not?" She tapped her finger against her temple for a second. "_Oh_, I get it. You miss him so much that you don't even want to hear his name, I understand. Only one more week, Hales. You can do it." 

Haley shook her head. "No no. He's just been acting weird lately. Like he doesn't want to talk to me? I don't know, I guess I shouldn't be taking it personally. I'm over thinking it too much."

Quinn touched her sisters arm. "He loves you Hales."

Haley sighed. "I know."

"Okay, let's go to one more store!" Quinn siad, sticking her index finger in Haley's face. Haley groaned. 

"Argh, okay."

Quinn and Haley left Coach, Haley trailing behind Quinn. She saw Quinn check her phone at least 3 times in one minute.

"Someone's popular." Haley obsereved. Quinn looked over her shoulder at Haley, looking startled. She quickly put her hand over her phone screen, her eyes wide, as if she just got caught commiting a crime. 

"What? Oh, uh, yeah, sure, haha," Quinn said nervously. Haley eyed her sister suspicoiusly. What was she up to? 

"Mmmm. Do you smell that, Hales? The food court. Let's get something to eat!" Quinn exclaimed, her demeanor completley changing from a couple seconds ago. She towed Haley to the food court, and sat her down at a table. Her eyes scanned the area before landing on something. Haley turned to see what she was staring at, but Quinn started speaking before she had a chance to see who or what she was looking at.

"Okay, you stay here, and I'll go get us something."

Haley noddedd her head. "And then we can go home?" 

Quinn smiled that creepy smile again. "Yes, _we_ can." She piveted towards the food selections before Haley had a chance to question her again. Haley, dazed and confused, checked her phone once again. No new message.

"Two freaking months apart, and all of a sudden, silence." Haley whispered under her breath. "Unbelievable." 

Even though on the outside, Haley was clearly angry with Nathan, she didn't show the hurt that was spreading through her body. Why wasn't he talking to her? What did she do wrong? If he didn't call her that night, she would, with out a doubt, call him. 

Haley sat there, trying to find Quinn in the crowds of people. She never noticed, but the food court was awfully crowded. She tried to find the source of the crowd, her gaze landing on a large herd circulating around a table. She squatted up from her chair, trying to get a better look at who was getting all this attention. The crowd moved it's way around the food court, as if the person in the middle was trying to move to a certain spot. The cluster of people inched closer and closer to Haley, until they were no more than two feet away from her.

And then she heard his voice, frustrated and impatient, but still recognizable - only to her.

"Yes, hello everybody. I really appreciate all of you guys, and I thank you for your support, but I'd really like to see my wife right now. She's literally _right_ infront of me. I haven't seen her in over two months." Nathan shouted over the cries from screaming fan girls and the "woots" from the boys. Haley's eyes widened, her heart pounded strongly in her chest. She stood up, but was still a head shorter than half the crowd. She cursed her short genetics as she decided to bravely stand up on her chair shakily, trying to get a better view of Nathan.

On the chair, she towered over everyone.

"NATHAN!" She shouted, her hands cupping over her lips. Nathan's head whipped up at the sound of his wife's perfect voice. 

"Hales!" He exclaimed, pushing through his hyperactive fans. He quickly made his way to Haley, standing infront of her as she was still firmly planted on the chair. He put is hands securely around her waist and pulled her down into his chest, spinning her around.

"God, I missed you _so _much, Hales," he whispered in her ear, kissing any visible part of her skin. Haley buried her face into his chest, a few tears squeezing out of her eyes.

"Your texts?" She mumbled, moving her face infront of his. He wiped the few tears that were tumbling down her cheeks, smiling at her. 

"Were to throw you off," he winked. He smiled over at Quinn, who had her arm wrapped around Clay.

"Thanks for keeping her distracted!" Nathan called out to Quinn, who acknowledged him by simply waving and kissing Clay on the cheek. 

"So you don't hate me?" Haley whispered tearfully when Nathan turned his attention back to her. When he heard her words, his eyes went from horrified, to angry, to soft, pulling Haley's head into his shoulder again so talking in her ear was easier. 

"Hate you? Silly girl. I could _never _hate you, even if I tried. It took all my will power to not text or call you last night or this morning. Clay had to take my phone and put it in his pillowcase. I have about 12 drafts of me saying 'I love you', that Clay cancelled before they had a chance to send. I love you, Haley, don't ever doubt that."

Haley pulled back, her eyes bloodshot. She rested her chin on Nathan's shoulder, well aware that he hadn't set her down yet. She peeked at the mob that used to surround Nathan. They were all standing around the couple, taking pictures and "awwing". Haley blushed as she felt Nathan's index finger pulling her face towards his, only to capture hers in a sweet kiss, a kiss they hadn't shared in two long months. Haley wrapped her arms around Nathan's neck, toying with his short hair as Nathan set Haley on the ground, lengthining their kiss. They wouldn't have stopped for a while unless they heard Clay shout out, "Hey, get a room!" 

Nathan pulled back from Haley reluctantly, glaring at Clay. Haley laughed into his chest, moving her arms to wrap around his torso. She peered up at him, her eyes glossy.

"I missed you."

Nathan's pure blue eyes bore into hers as he kissed her forehead. He wanted to ask about the baby, but with all the people surrounding them, it was probably a bad idea. So instead, he took her hand, squeezing it before they faced the swarm of crazy fans.

*****At Home  
**

Nathan and Haley sat on their living room couch, Nathan's arm hanging loosley around Haley's shoulder. His fingers played with her hair, causing shivers through her spine. Clay and Quinn sat across from them on their other couch, their position simliar.

"So, tell me again why you're at home now?" Haley asked, looking up at Nathan. 

"Well, the Bobcats didn't have a game this whole week, and instead of sitting in Charlotte, doing nothing for a whole week, Clay and I decided to take a road trip to Tree Hill." Nathan explained, smiling at Haley.

"You should have heard him, Hales," Clay said, sighing heavily. "If we weren't talking about basketball, it was all 'I wonder how Haley's doing?' or, 'Should I call her? Maybe I'm annoying her if I do. She's probably busy anyways', I swear, it's like we were in highschool and he was going on a first date with a girl or something. And at night, after you two hung up from your like, 5 hour phone calls, he would sometimes -"

"CLAY, I think we've heard enough." Nathan raised his voice, giving Clay a warning look. Clay smiled sweetly at Nathan, taking a sip of his beer. Haley eyed Nathan, but decided to not push the answer out of him, it would just get him worked up. The four of them sat in comfortable silence for a couple minutes until they heard the front door open. Jamie came walking in, still wearing his school backpack at 7:00 pm. 

"Hey bud," Haley said cautiously, waiting for Jamie's reaction to having Clay and Nathan home. Jamie looked around at the room, his gaze landing on Nathan, then Clay, then back to Nathan.

"DAD!" Jamie shrieked, launching himself onto the couch. Nathan moved his arm from around Haley to his son, catching him just in time. He kissed his head, messing up his hair as he patted his head.

"Hey, Jame! I missed you!" Nathan enthused, hugging his son.

"I missed you too!" Jamie turned his head to see Clay. "Uncle Clay!" Jamie exclaimed with the same exctiedness in his voice. He attacked Clay the same way he did Nathan, causing laughs from everyone. Nathan looked down at Haley, watching her smile and laugh. Man, he missed her.

*****That night**

"Oh man, what a day!" Haley exclaimed, throwing herself on her and Nathan's bed. Nathan came in after her, closing their door softly. After Jamie came in and said his hello's, they all talked about Nathan's succesful second basketball season so far, Haley's music, and Jamie's school. Soon, it was 9:00 pm, and Jamie unwillingly went to bed, being promised that Nathan would be there when he woke up. He was there the whole week.

"How many stores did Quinn drag you to anyways?" Nathan asked, climbing onto the bed to join Haley. Her body was sprawled out, covering three-quarters of the bed. "Uh, a little room," Nathan laughed.

"Oh, sorry. I'm used to only one person being in this bed," Haley chuckled, re-positioning her body so she could lie against Nathan's rock hard abs. "Oh, and about 50 stores?" 

"Overexaggeration?" Nathan mumbled in Haley's hair, smiling. Haley shook her head. 

"Hmm. Okay maybe a little. But it felt like 50. Especially with this one," Haley pointed to her stomach.

"How is she, anyways?" Nathan asked, angling Haley's face up to his.

"She _or_ he is great. I've had three appointments since you've left, and I actually have one this week, so you can come." Haley said, her eyes dancing with happiness. Nathan mirrored her gladness, kissing Haley shortly.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Nathan promised, playing with Haley's hair. "So, how's it been in this large, empty bed?"

"Cold." Haley responded automatically, chuckling sadly at how pathetic that sounded. "And lonley." Okay, not much better on the pathetic meter.

"Mhhm?" Nathan hummed, his eyes closing sleepily as he rested his head on top of Haley's.

"Yeah," she replied, smiling up at her sweet husband. 24 hours ago, Haley sat cold and lonley in this bed. Now, she lay in Nathan's warmth, his scent intoxicating her mind. 24 hours ago, Haley was confused and hurt about Nathan. Now, their feelings were mutual and crystal clear. His love for her was undeniable and unconditional, as hers was for him. A lot can change in 24 hours.

"Well I think I can fix that," Nathan murmured, pulling the blankets over them, moving Haley's body so she was unshakebly wrapped in his arms. He pulled her lips up to his, kissing her warmly before Haley slowly drifted off into a deep slumber. Nathan was dead tired, but he forced himself to stay awake, loving to watch his wife sleep. They way her chest rose and fell at the same tempo, how she kept a small smile on her perfect lips all through the night.

"I love you." He whispered almost unaudible before sleep took over his body. 

With Nathan's strong arms around Haley, and Haley's tiny frame enclosed in those arms, the couple had the best sleep they both had in two months.

**Woot. Another chapter complete.**

Exams suck, and studying takes up the precious time I have to write this, but exams are inevitable, so I really gotta buckle down and study in the next couple of days, so chapter 9 may not be out for a couple of days, sorry!  


**Also, I need your guys' help! This is going to sound lame, but I don't know what sex to make Nathan and Haley's baby! Suggestions are open! I know a lot of people are going to say a girl, but I just want some opinions. (:**

Also, sorry for making this two months in advance! *runs and hides*

Thanks for reading!  



	11. Stuck With Me

**Summary: **_**He couldn't look Haley in the eye, too ashamed of his actions at lunch, too ashamed by how he was never home.  
**_**  
Disclaimer: I don't own OTH, Usain Bolt or Nestea.  
**

"You have got to be kidding me." Haley groaned, slamming the house phone down on the counter. Nathan walked in the kitchen just in time to see his frustrated wife. 

"What's wrong, babe?" He asked, making his way over to her, kissing her softly.

Haley sighed, clearly annoyed. "Tree Hill High just called, they need me to sub in for first, second, and fourth period English." She huffed, crossing her arms. 

Nathan's eyes became confused. "Wait a second, I know one of us went to university to become a teacher? Wait... don't tell me, I can get this..." Nathan trailed off, winking at Haley. Haley smacked his arm lightly as she moved to the fridge, raiding through it. She decided on eggs for breakfast, and grabbed a carton of them.

"It's just inconvinient because I was sitting at home alone for two stinking months, thinking of things to do besides play on my piano, and now the one time that I actually have something to do..." Haley trailed off as Nathan's eyes widened, a smirk appearing on his face. "I mean, now that you're home, I get called in to be a substitute teacher, when I could be spending time with you. It's not fair!" Haley whined, cracking the eggs loudly onto the pan. Nathan chuckled, wrapping his arms around Haley's slightly swollen stomach, putting his head into the crook of her neck.

"It's okay, Hales. We have Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and then you, Jamie, and Quinn come to Charlotte with Clay and I, and we have Saturday and Sunday. We also still have tonight..." Nathan kissed Haley's earlobe, causing Haley's knees to weaken a little. She flipped the eggs sloppily, trying to concentrate on not setting their whole house on fire. Nathan continued smothering her neck with little kisses, making his way to the hem of her shirt.

"Morning!" Jamie exclaimed, running into the kitchen. Nathan jumped away from Haley, rubbing the back of his neck bashfully.

"Good morning Jamie," Haley said, eyeing Nathan. He smiled at her helpessly. 

"Morning bud." Nathan replied, walking over to Jamie, ruffling his hair. Jamie glared up at his father.

"Whoa, what's with the face dude?" Nathan laughed, sitting across from his son. Jamie's hands went up to his hair, smoothing his hair back down. 

"I spent a whole five minutes brushing my hair this morning!" Jamie exclaimed at Nathan as if he was supposed to somehow know this. Haley piveted from the stove, setting down Jamie's breakfast plate.

"Whoa, that's a first." She commented, returning back to the other eggs. Jamie rolled his eyes.

"Why did you brush your hair?" Nathan asked, intruiged. Jamie blushed, looking down at his plate.

"For Madison." he mumbled, stuffing a piece of an egg into his moth. Nathan and Haley looked at eachother for a second before Haley spoke.

"Do you still like her? That's adorable." Haley smiled, giving Nathan a plate. Jamie's eyes widened incredulously as if his mother just told him that she could swallow knives while singing the national anthem in spanish.

"I do not! Girls have cooties, right dad?" Jamie asked as Nathan swallowed an egg loudly. Haley put her hand on her hip, curious to hear his answer. 

"Uh, yes?" Nathan looked up at Haley to see her watching him intently. "Except your mom. She got her cootie shot when she was little, so she's all good." Nathan said. Haley shook her head, laughing as she went to join her family with her breakfast. Jamie deliberated this for a second, then nodded his head slowly, finishing off the last of his eggs.

"Ohhh, okay. Well, I'm gonna go get ready for school." Jamie announced, leaving the kitchen.

"So, I was thinking that I could come to school today during third period, that's still the lunch period, right?" Nathan asked before Haley nodded her head. "Yeah, then I'll come and we can eat lunch together, like we used to when we were both teachers there." Nathan suggested. 

"Yeah, good idea." Haley agreed, taking a sip of her orange juice. Nathan smiled at her before finishing the rest of his eggs. He kissed the top of her head as he was getting up.

"That was great." He said, rinsing his and Jamie's dishes. Haley checked the time. 8:00.

"Oh crap!" She exclaimed, inhaling the rest of her food. Nathan watched as his wife set a record for finishing her breakfast and cleaning up, all in a span of about one minute.

"Whoa, slow down there Usain." Nathan joked as Haley grabbed her purse.

"Jamie's school starts at 9:00, but I totally forgot that Tree Hill High starts at 8:10. I'm going to be late!" Haley fretted, looking for her shoes frantically. Nathan grabbed Haley's shoulders strongly. She looked him in the eye, trying to squirm her way out of his grasp. Nope, he wasn't letting her go. 

"Breathe," he first instructed, watching Haley let out a deep breath. "Remember our deal? No worrying? It takes like, two minutes to get to school, Hales. You'll be fine. I'll bring Jamie to school. I'll see you at lunch, okay?"

Haley nodded, her breathing slowing down.

"Oh and also, check the coat closet for your shoes." Nathan smirked, cocking his head in the direction of the closet. He let Haley go and watched her open the door to reveal her shoes. She grunted. 

"You know me too well, Scott." 

"Good. Now go, I love you." Nathan said, kissing Haley quickly as she ran out the door. Nathan ran his fingers through his hair, sighing. Okay, it did kind of suck not having Haley there with him for the day, but he would see her at lunch.

*****At Tree Hill High**

"Good morning, class. My name is Mrs. James Scott, and I'm your teacher for today. I actually used to teach english at this school, but then, well, that didn't really work out well..." Haley trailed off, not wanting to mention her getting fired by Principle Rimkus. Haley had learned that morning when she came rushing into school that Principle Rimkus had gotten fired, and was replaced by a nice looking older man.

"You're Haley James Scott! I LOVE your music!" A girl in the class exclaimed. She had flippy short blonde hair, a cute smile adorning her face, accentuating her pretty features. Haley blushed, looking down at the floor.

"Yes, well, today I'm your teacher, not your music provider," she joked, causing chuckles from the class. 

"Yo, you're Nathan Scott's wife!" A boy shouted out, pumping his fist in the air. Haley's heart squeezed at Nathan's name.

"Yes, I am."

"I heard you two got married when you were our age!" The flippy-haired girl cooed, staring at Haley. The whole class gasped at Haley, some girls covering their mouths in horror, others "awwing" at the fact that Nathan and Haley were highschool sweethearts. Haley knew it was against the rules to talk about her personal life, so she had to put a stop to it.

"Okay class, settle down. Let's turn to page 23 in Macbeth." Haley ordered, hearing the huffs and puffs from the class as they opened their books. Just as Haley started reading the first word from the page, a man about her age came rushing in, holding three binders and a stack of paper. His shirt was slightly off centre, his hair messy and ruffled. And Haley thought _she _had been running late. 

"Phew! Made it! Sorry Mrs. Carmichael - I keep thinking this class is across the quad..." The mystery man trailed off as he looked at Haley wondrously. "Oh!" His voice squeaked. "Youre not Mrs. Carmichael. You're Haley James Scott!" He exclaimed, quickly smoothing his hair and fixing his shirt.

"I'm also the substitute teacher," Haley explained. "And you are...?"

"Oh, I'm Josh. I mean, Mr. Zyack," he held out his hand so he could shake Haley's. Haley felt his hand, moist and warm. "I'm the student teacher." Haley nodded, opening her mouth to answer, but he continued. "I know, I know, I look a little old to be a student teacher... it's a long story. I'm actually 24 years old, and I know that I should be doing a job instead of being a student teacher, but I really love teaching and the university said I had to become a student teacher first, and ohmygoshIcan'tbelieveNathanScott'!" He spat out the last part of his monologue, wheezing breaths. Haley laughed at Josh's enthusiasm as he set down his binders and papers on the desk, and stood up straight.

"Sorry, I just had a fan girl moment there. Even though I'm a guy..." Haley could tell he was about to launch himself into another twenty minute speech, so she cut him off quickly.

"That's okay!" Haley reassure him. Josh smiled and nodded, grabbing a chair and sitting down with one of his three binders.

"Okay, commence," He said, waving his hands infront of him. "I'm here to take notes on your teaching skills." 

"No pressure or anything..." the flippy girl mumbled, giggling quietly. Haley blushed, inspite of herself, and finally started the class. 

*****After the class ended.  
**

The class filed out of the room, the guys checking out Haley as they left, the girls staring at her in awe. She turned around to face Josh, who was writing frantically on the same sheet of paper he had been writing down on before.

"What are you writing that's so intense?" Haley laughed, peeking over at Josh's page. He looked up at her, folding it over so she couldn't see.

"Hey, this is confidential," he said, his voice serious. Haley put her hands up in defense before Josh broke out into a smile. "I'm just kidding. I'm actually writing about how to get the class' respect. Be a famous pop singer and be married to one of the most famous people in the NBA." 

For about the tenth time that day, Haley's cheeks turned beet red. "So, do you have to get to another class so you can take more notes?" She asked, trying to make small talk. Josh shook his head.

"Nope, I'm in this class for the next period, and period four. Hence the three binders," he said, motioning towards them. 

"Oh, I'm in this class for those periods too! What a coincidence." Haley said. Josh nodded his head, a permanent smile on his face, almost like he swallowed a coat hanger. Haley got that from him when he first walked in the door; a generally nice, chipper person. "So, you a fan of my husband?" Haley winked, causing Josh to look down at the floor, embarrased.

"Yeah, he's awesome. I love his story. It must've been hard though, with his accident and all." Haley simply nodded, trying to block that rough patch of her life out of her head. And just as suspected, Josh continued speaking. "And I also am a fan of your music. But only because my...niece listens to it a lot. And then somehow it got on my ipod? Weird, right?" Josh said, his eyes widening as if he hadn't a clue how her songs had gotten on there. Haley couldn't help but giggle at his cute jokes. He was infectious. The two stood in silence for a couple seconds before Haley's phone beeped.

**Hey. Have they destroyed you yet? No, you're tough, you can take them. But if not, I'll personally come and teach them a Nathan Scott lesson. See you at lunch, love you.**

Haley's smile widened as she typed back quickly to Nathan.

"Was that Nathan?" Josh asked innocently. Haley snapped her head up.

"How did you know?" She gasped, closing her phone as the message sent.

"I used to study human relations in university. My cousin became a teacher, and he kept on raving about how much he loved it. So one day, I went to his class to see how much fun teaching could _actually_ be. And I ended up falling in love with it, so I switched out of human relations and went into teaching. But yeah, since I studied human relations for about two years, I have a knack for reading people, therefore I knew that Nathan texted you because your smile got all cute and you typed back very quickly." Josh shrugged his shoulders, as if this gift was no big deal. Haley gawked at him, impressed. She also noticed how he called her smile "cute". Was he flirting with her? She wasn't about to ask, but no one could compare to Nathan, so she just decided to store Josh under the "friendly but harmless" category. "So what about you? You can't be a sub unless you're certified."

"Yeah, I used to teach at this school. Actually, this was my highschool! It feels like yesterday I was walking the halls here, worrying about the next test or something. Seems so insignificant now, but it was a big deal back then." Haley reminisced on her past in that very high school. Those were definitely some of the best days of her life.

"You went here? That's cool. It must've been weird teaching here though, being in the same staff room as your old teachers." Josh shuddered, making Haley chuckle.

"Yeah, a bit weird. But I got over it, mostly because I was fired by Principle Rimkus."

Josh's eyes widened exceptionally. "YOU got fired? But your teaching skills are amazing! Way better than Mrs. Carmichael, no offense to her or anthing. But this makes sense, I've heard stories about Principle Rimkus, apparentley she was a witch?"

Haley had to laugh hard at that one. She was going to replace one of those letters with a "b", but she liked Josh's term better. "Yup, she was...witchy." 

The second bell rang as the next class piled in, taking their seats. Haley looked down at her guidance sheet. These were grade twelves, the period before her were grade tens, and in period four she had grade nines.

"Hello class, I'm your substitute teacher, Haley James Scott." Haley started off the class the same way she had the last one.

*****After Period 2 ended **

****"So," Josh started, taking all his binders under one arm. Haley braced herself for nonstop talking, but instead, Josh kept it short and sweet. "You wanna eat lunch together?" He asked, his eyes hopeful.

"Uhh," Haley started, feeling bad for having to reject Josh's puppy dog eyes. She wanted to eat lunch with Nathan. 

"Well, just because I'm kind of new at the school, it's only my second week here, and I haven't really made any friends, since the teachers here are way older than me. And you and I seem around the same age." Josh laughed nervously, preping himself for Haley's "no." But Haley's heart sank when she heard that Josh hadn't made any friends.

"Well, I was going to eat lunch with Nathan, but you can sit with us, if you want." Haley suggested.

"Nathan's going to be there?" Josh gaped at Haley, who nodded slowly. "Oh my GOD!" 

Haley laughed. This was going to be an interesting lunch.

*****In the Quad**

Haley and Josh sat at a picnik table together, Josh across from Haley, so Nathan could sit beside Haley. Haley's phone beeped as they waited for Nathan. 

**Gonna be a bit late, Jamie forgot to bring a lunch, so I'm gonna run one over to his school now. Be there in 10 minutes? Sorry for the wait.  
**

"Nathan's not going to be here for ten minutes," Haley announced. "So we can start eating I guess." She said, unwrapping her sandwich. Josh did the same, until Haley knocked over his unopened can of Nestea onto the ground beside them.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Haley said, moving out of the bench to pick it up. Josh bent over as well. Haley's back was turned to him as she picked it up, and Josh got a good view of her "23" tattoo as her shirt rose up.

Haley put the Nestea back on the table and began chewing on her sandwich.

"Was that 23 a tattoo?" Josh inquired, taking a thoughtful bite from his sandwich.

"What are you, a psychic or something?" Haley asked, astounded at Josh's knowledge.

"No, just good at human relations. It looked pretty permanent, so I just took another lucky quess."

"You have a lot of lucky guesses. And yes, it's a tattoo of Nathan's jersey number when we were in high school. Don't judge, but I was sixteen when I got it." Haley cringed, waiting for Josh's reaction. He simply nodded his head, taking a sip of Nestea.

"Did it hurt?"

"Yeah, terribly." Halety groaned at the thought. "But it was worth it," she smiled as she saw Nathan walking across the quad. He simply outshone everybody in his path, people physically moving out of his way if their routes crossed. His eyes were on Haley, his face lighting up when their eyes connected. His gaze turned to Josh, and quickly his expression became confused.

"Hey," Nathan said as he nearned their table, eyeing Josh suspiciously. Haley got up and kissed him lightly before sliding over to the other side of the bench so Nathan had room. Josh sat awkwardly on the other side, his eyes glued to his sandwich. Nathan stared at him for too long, so Haley swatted his arm and he sat down quickly, reaching his hand over the table.

"Hey, I'm Nathan Scott, what's your name?"

Josh's head whipped up as Nathan greeted him. 

"Uh, uh, J-J-Josh." Josh stuttered, taking Nathan's hand and shaking it weakily. Nathan turned to look at Haley, his brow furrowed.

"He's a big fan of the both of us." Haley explained, smiling sympathetically at Josh. Nathan noticed this exchange, too friendly for his liking. He took another look at Josh. He looked like one of the guys he would have beaten up in high school. 

"Huge fan, _huge_." Josh explained, taking a gulp of Nestea.

"I'm the substitute teacher for all the class's hes a student teacher in." Haley told Nathan. Nathan nodded his head absorbing the information.

"So she's stuck with me the whole day!" Josh laughed, causing Haley go to along with him. Nathan tried to laugh, but it came out more as confused bits of his voice. He cleared his throat and tried again.

"Haha." He fake laughed. It was clear it was a false laugh too, because Haley nudged him under the table with her knee, a warning sign that he was being rude.

"So," Josh started. Haley took a deep breath. _Here we go_, she thought in her head. _Let's get ready for another lengthy talk from Josh._ "Did you know that Haley got your old jersey number tattooed on her lower back?" Josh spat out, his mouth returning to his sandwich. Nathan's eyes flickered with anger as he spoke lowly through his teeth to Haley.

"How did _he _know about that?" Nathan grimaced, glancing at Josh. His blood boiled through his veins.

"Uh, I told him..." Haley trailed off, Nathan's expression livid. 

"This just keeps on getting better." Nathan whispered angrily, getting up from the table. Josh and Haley watched him stalk off, his fists clenched tightly in a ball. 

"One second," Haley told Josh, running after Nathan. She caught up to him in a couple of seconds and grabbed his arm.

"Isn't Josh waiting for you over there?" Nathan asked, turning to face Haley. In a strange way, Haley felt kind of intimidated by Nathan. Not only did he tower over her, but his teeth were clasped together tightly, his expression hard. No wonder people were so scared of him in high school.

"Hey, be nice." Haley scolded, tapping Nathan's chest. "He's a new student teacher, and doesn't have any friends yet." 

Nathan rolled his eyes. "So he can make some, he's a big boy Haley. And how exactly did the topic of your tattoo come up?" Nathan's voice raised considerable loud.

"I bent down to get his Nestea that I hit off the table, and he saw, okay?" Haley told him, embarrased and hurt by Nathan's anger. She didn't like Josh that way, she had just met him! Nathan was overreacting, and the fact that he would think that she could even begin to look at anyone the way she looked at Nathan was really insulting. 

"Oh yeah, he 'just saw'. Maybe that creepo was looking at you _that way_. Did you ever think about that?" Nathan shouted, drawing attention to them.

"You JUST met him! _I _just met him! But I know him better than you, and he's just an innocent student teacher! God, you can be so quick to judge sometimes."

"If you shared your tattoo with him, I can only imagine what else you told your new boyfriend. I'm going home." Nathan spat out through his teeth. Haley crossed her arms, watching Nathan walk away, his shoulders hunched over. A tear ran down her cheek, but she quickly wiped it away before anyone could notice. She turned and walked back to Josh, whose jaw was dropped open as he witnessed his two hero's fight because of him.

"Wow, I am _really_ sorry. I wasn't looking at you _that way_, by the way." Josh said quietly. Haley smiled softly at him before wrapping up her lunch.

"I know, Nathan just gets jealous easily. It's hard because we've been apart for two months, and he came back yesterday, and then I got called in today, so we haven't had a lot of time together." Haley explained, her eyes gentle.

"Oh, okay. I feel responsible, some how." Josh replied. Haley shook her head. 

"Don't be. Let's go to class."

*****After Their Last Class**

****The bell rang, signaling the end of fourth period, and the end of Haley's school day. She had to admit, she was nervous to go home and face Nathan, but she would have to eventually.

"Well, today was fun." Haley sighed, grabbing her purse and jacket. Josh nodded, gathering up his books. 

"Yeah, well except for lunch, but even that was fun, I got to meet Nathan Scott!" Josh gushed, squeeling like a little girl. Haley laughed as she put her arm around him, hugging him.

"Nice to meet you, Josh." She said as she let go of him.

"Do you mind if I take a picture with you, just for proof that I met you?" Josh asked, digging through his bag to bring up a camera.

"Yeah sure!" Haley agreed as she smiled with Josh in the picture.

"Well, goodbye." Josh said, waving as Haley left the room. She thought of the dayas events, and decided that no matter what Nathan said, she knew that Josh was a nice person.

*****At Home**

"Nathan?" Haley called out as she stepped into their house. She slipped out of her shoes and trudged inside, checking each room. She found Nathan situated on the couch, reading a magazing intently. 

"Are you still mad?" Haley asked cautiously, keeping her distance. 

"Are you still with Josh?" Nathan asked back. Haley couldn't quite flag his level of anger from his voice. It was pretty levelled.

"No..." She trailed off, making her way in front of Nathan. She reached down and tugged on his forearm. "Please talk to me." Haley begged. Nathan looked up from his magazine, his face as unreadable as his voice.

"It just seems like he would be so much better for you than me." Nathan stated, his face dropping. Haley gaped at Nathan as she sat beside him on the couch, forcing him to turn and face her.

"You're kidding me, right? Please tell me you're joking." She said, her hands cupping his face. 

Nathan shook his head. "I'm not. Right off the bat, I could tell that he could probably keep up with you if you were talking about physics or something. I could tell that he was happy go lucky like you, and probably goofy and adorable like you too. He would also be around the whole year, unlike me." Nathan said sadly, his voice nearly a whisper by the end of the sentence. He couldn't look Haley in the eye, too ashamed of his actions at lunch, too ashamed by how he was never home.

Haley sighed. "Babe, it's not like it's your fault you're never home. It's your dream you're living, which makes me so happy. And no, Josh is not my type. He was just excited and friendly because he's big fans of us. Besides, I like brunette basketball players with striking blue eyes anyways. You seen any lately?"

Nathan cracked a smile, his eyes meeting Haley's. "I've just missed you so much, I want you all to myself. I don't want to have to share you with Josh, you know?"

Haley nodded. "Yeah, I do know. Because I feel the same way. And we'll probably never see Josh again, so you don't have to worry about that." Haley spoke, kissing Nathan's cheek. Nathan's eyes kept boring into hers, as if he was looking into her soul. "I love you, Nathan. No one's ever going to change that, okay? Josh may have been stuck with me for the day, but you're stuck with me for life, got it?" Haley whispered in Nathan's ear. Nathan pulled her back so he could face her again, just so he could kiss her passionately and lovingly. After a second though, Haley pulled back, excited squeaks coming from her throat.

"What?" Nathan exclaimed as Haley's hands flew to her stomach. She quickly grabbed one of his hands and placed it on her swollen tummy.

"Can you feel that?" She asked incredulously. Nathan's eyes widened in excitement as they felt their baby's first movements together.

"Oh my God." Nathan said dubiously, feeling the little kicking of their child. "What does it feel like?"

"Hmm. Like someone's popping bubblewrap in my stomach." Haley observed, causing Nathan to laugh at her ridiculous explanation. He moved his hands from her stomach to the small of her back, leaning her back so that he was lying on top of her.

"That's our baby!" Haley smiled as a tear escaped from her eye. Nathan acknowledged this by kissing Haley once more, only breaking apart to whisper one thing to her.

"You're stuck with me forever James, and no one else. Got it?"

Haley grinned from ear to ear. "Got it," she said, before Nathan ducked down to kiss her stomach lightly. After a crazy day full of shouting, tears, and laughs with a new friend, Nathan and Haley were back to their default setting: happily in love with eachother, always and forever. 

**Yay for cheesy endings! LOL.  
So, my twin brother, Marcus called me a writing machine, since I wrote this whole chapter today. I know I said that I wouldn't update for a few days because of exams, but this is so much more fun than exams!  
Okay, I really should start studing, lmao.  
Oh and thanks for your guys' suggestions on the sex of the baby!  
Thanks for reading! (:  
**


	12. Guilty

_**Summary: Nathan wasn't going to dilly-dally. He wasn't going to let this guiltiness control him any longer. He was getting straight to the point, keeping it short and sweet.**_

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with anything... haha.  
**  
"So then I said, 'of COURSE I want to sign your thigh!"

The entire room filled with laughter as Clay lifted up his beer.

"Now, I say we give a toast to the amazing Bobcats team for a great season so far!" He proposed, as the room shifted from laughter to cheers. Nathan sat on one of the many couches in the room, his arm draped around Haley's shoulder. His face flushed slightly as he lifted up his beer bottle, hearing the clinks and clacks of everyone's glasses and bottles. Nathan looked down on Haley, who was holding a wine glass filled with water-just incase anyone got suspicious. 

"Cheers," Haley said quietly, smiling widely as she clinked her glass with Nathan's. They both took a sip of their drinks together, before Nathan heaved himself off the couch, pulling Haley with him. After the couple had resolved their argument over Josh, Clay had come to their house, announcing that he was going to hold a party for Nathan's team on the Thursday before they had to go back to Charlotte. Even though it was short notice, most of the team had showed up to Clay's beach house for a night full of happiness and laughter with friends. At only 11:00 pm, everyone was already having a great time, from going swimming in the water, to playing NBA Live on Clay's XBOX 360, to simply enjoying the company of a loved one, like Nathan and Haley.

"Where are we going?" Haley asked, as Nathan pulled her through the swarm of people, through the back door. He shut it quietly, relieving their ears from the piercing music that kept on increasing in tempo and pitch.

"What are we doing out here?" She tried another question, putting her hands limply on Nathan's chest. He smiled, grabbing her hand, leading her down the stairs to the beach. He kicked off his shoes, and she followed, feeling the cool sand sink between her toes. Even though they were outside, the couple could still hear the ear-splitting music coming from the house, feeling the vibrations the it gave off. Then, all of a sudden, the music changed from powerful to peaceful. Clay's voice came over the slow song briefly.

"For my best friend, great client, and his amazing wife, I love you both." Clay said, peeking out the window at Nathan and Haley. They waved back, acknowledging him as the song started.

_You need a friend,  
I'll be around.  
Don't let this end  
Before I see you  
Again..._

"It's our song!" Haley gushed as Nathan took hold of one of her hands, his free one slipping around the small of her back. Haley wrapped her arm around his back, leaning her head against his chest, feeling the faint beat of his heart.

"Tonight's been fun." Nathan commented, looking up at the sky. There was a perfect full moon lighting up the beautiful night sky, it's reflection appearing in the water mistily. It accentuated the stars amazingly, almost taking Nathan's breath away at how the simplicity of nature could be so profound.

"Yeah," Haley breathed, closing her eyes as her and Nathan swayed gently to their song. It had been a fun night for Haley; she got to meet a lot of Nathan's new teammates and their wives that she hadn't before, and got to chat with some old friends on Nathan's team as well. She hadn't had any problems with her pregnancy either that night, so as far as Haley was concerned, this night was a success. And the feeling of being in Nathan's arms, her head leaning against his chest, just added to her perfect night. She never wanted to leave.

"Do we _have_ to be apart again?" Haley mumbled in Nathan's arm.

"Unfortunetly, yes." Nathan replied, his words muffled by Haley's hair. "But we still have the doctors appointment tomorrow, and then we have until Sunday after that."

Haley nodded. "Yeah, but that's only three days."

"Or three seconds?" Nathan said gloomily, repeating his words he had once texted to her two months ago. Haley sighed longingly.

"Three seconds," she agreed.

Their song ended softly, Gavin Degraw's voice slowly fading out of the speakers, before it got replaced by another up beat song. Nathan let go of Haley and took her hand instead. 

"So, I was thinking of giving this to you before I left, but with the moonlight and the beach and everything, I guess this is a good time," Nathan said shyly, pulling out a small

box, plopping it into Haley's hand. She enclosed her fingers over it and looked up at him questioningly. Her tiny fingers clicked the box open, and when she saw it, she gasped.

Nestled in the middle of a green velvet inside was a tiny pure gold locket, shaped as a heart. Nathan was right, the moonlight was perfect to give this gift in, for the locket shimmered and basked in the dim light of the moon, causing it to become more breathtaking than it already was. Haley had to squint slightly, but she noticed that there was a deep engraving of "Always and Forever" on the front, drawn with intricate cursive. She opened the locket shakily to reveal her and Nathan's wedding picture. A tear fell from the corner of her eye as she flipped the heart shaped locket over to the back. There was more engraving, this one more faint. It read:

_I love you "More Than Anyone", Haley.  
Love, Nathan._

"That's why Clay played that song," Haley squeaked, closing the locket carefully. She studied it once more, it's beauty almost overwhelming. She looked at Nathan, who nodded, his face unreadable. She realized that he was probably waiting on some comment on the gift, some affirmation that she truly loved it.

"This is, for lack of better words,_ amazing_." Haley breathed, setting it down in the box and closing it. Nathan let out the breath he had been holding in when she first opened the box. "But why? It's not our anniversary or anything..."

"Just because I love you." Nathan said easily, as if Haley just asked him if he had the time. A wave of incrimination washing over her. She _never_ did anything like this for Nahan. Her face fell slightly as she came to face the truth. Nathan had given her _so_ much, and she barely had anything to give back in return. Another tear slipped out of her eye, and soon enough, they were coming down in buckets.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Nathan asked, rubbing Haley's arms, pulling her close. She wept into his shirt, staining it with salt.

"You do...so much for me...and I never do...anything for you." She choked out, watching Nathan with teary eyes. He shook his head.

"Haley, you give me so much just by _breathing_." He said, every word more true than the last. "Believe me, I ask for nothing in return for this."

Haley sighed, her tears slowing. "I feel bad."

Nathan chuckled. "Of course you do. It's who you are, Hales."

"But it is really beautiful."

Nathan let go of Haley, and held out his hand, motioning for the necklace. Haley took it out of it's place in it's box and handed it over to him. He stepped behind her and lifted up her hair, securely fastening the chain around her neck. He then moved to the front of her again, and smiled, nodding his head.

"It looks great on you. Clay was right," he smiled, as Haley wrapped her arms around his neck. Nathan angled his head down until his lips caught hers in a sweet kiss. Just as the moment was building, a quiet _click_ was heard from behind the couple. They broke apart only to find Quinn standing beside them with her camera held up at eye level.

"I'm sorry, I had to." She laughed. Nathan and Haley chuckled along with her.

"Next time, maybe let us know, Quinney." Haley smiled softly. Quinn shook her head vigorously.

"Nooooope, because then you wouldn't kiss for me. Plus, pictures are always better when they aren't staged. They're more real, more...raw."

"I'm just going to nod and pretend like I understood what you just said," Nathan joked as he shifted awkwardly in the sand. All of a sudden, Clay's voice was booming.

"Quinn! Come in here! I want to show you something!"

Quinn sighed. "There's my cue. See you guys later."

Nathan turned to Haley once Quinn had left. "Wanna go for a walk?"

"Sure."

The couple walked silently down the beach, listening to the soft waves crash gently against the shore. The moon was more profound by now, the stars twinkling brightly. There was that stillness again. Haley leaned her head against Nathan's shoulder and closed her eyes, taking in his presence, trying to make the most of every moment with him. Because soon enough, they would be apart again. More lonely months that consisted of five hour phone calls at night, text messaging throughout the day, and tears when either of them got deeply estranged. Haley tried to shake those bitter thoughts out of her head, but they were stuck like glue, causing her to face reality. This is how life would be for at _least_ a decade, probably more. Reality sucked.

As if Nathan was reading Haley's thoughts, he spoke. "This is going to be going on for a while, eh? Basketball careers usually last over ten years, more like fifteen. I'm in my second." A sinking feeling punched Nathan in the gut as the palpability of the situation snuck up on him as unexpectedly as it did for Haley, pouncing on him and attacking his mind. He felt Haley's grip on his hand weaken. 

"I know," she whispered, unsure if Nathan had even heard her. "But most of the other guys on your team have wives too, right? They're in the exact same boat as you."

"Well, for one thing, barely any of them are in their second season, more like fifth, sixth, even seventh. And second, yeah sure, they do have wives, but I can guarantee you that they don't love their wives as much as I love you. They don't have that aching feeling in the pit of their stomach when missing their wives becomes almost too much to handle. I do. Sometimes I can't even talk to them, I'm thinking of you too much. So, as far as I'm concerned, I think that we're in different boats when it comes to how much they love and miss their wives." Nathan said, kissing the top of Haley's head, squeezing her hand.

"I bet if you brought up that topic, they could argue you on that, but somehow, I believe you." Haley replied. "And you know who else gets that aching feeling in their stomach?"

Nathan shook his head, so Haley pointed at herself. "Me."

Nathan became concerned, so he pulled Haley to a halt on their walk. It was almost pitch black by now, so Nathan could barely make out Haley's features. But even in the darkness, Haley saw the panic in Nathan's eyes.

"Is it because of the baby? Are you okay?" He asked worriedly, rubbing his hands up and down her arms. Haley had to laugh at how deeply scared Nathan was for her, when in truth, nothing was wrong.

"Nate, the baby grows in the uterus, not the stomach, so if I told you that I had an aching pain in my uterus, then you could be worried. 

"But I'm talking about the pain of your absence. I feel it down to my core, I really do."

Now it was Nathan's turn to feel guilty. _He_ was the reason that she was feeling this way. And there was nothing he could do about it. This sadness on Nathan's face was obvious to Haley, so she put her hand on his cheek.

"I love you, and that's all that matters. We can handle this. So you have another 15 years? That's nothing compared to what we've been through in the past." She reassured him. Nathan groaned, unconvinced. He took Haley's hand again and continued their walk, until Haley started to become tired. So Nathan picked her up and carried her back to Clay's beach house, proclaiming that they were going home. They thanked Clay for a great night, and went to bed.

*****The Next Morning**

"So, if you take these three oranges, and you take these five lemons, and you add them together, what do you get?"

Jamie sighed, getting impatient. "For the fifth time, dad, you get eight!"

Nathan shook his head. "No...really? I could've sworn I counted nine..."

Haley walked into the kicthen to see Nathan's brow furrowed and Jamie slouched in his seat at the kitchen table, rolling his eyes as Nathan inspected the fruits he was holding in his massive hands.

"One, two, three, four..." Haley heard Nathan say under his breath.

"What's your silly dad doing?" Haley asked Jamie, Nathan's head snapping up at Haley's voice.

"Hales! How many oranges and lemons are there here in total?"

Haley raised her eyebrow questioningly at Nathan. "Is that a trick question?" It seemed too easy to be true.

Nathan shook his head. "No. Jamie says there's eight, and I say..." Nathan quickly counted them over again. "Oh..." he flushed, setting down the fruits. 

"Finally!" Jamie exclaimed, heaving. "Dad, that's simple addition equation Three plus five is obviously going to equal eight. I'm learning multiplication now. Can you do five times five?."

"Wat are you in? Grade three or nine?" Nathan retorted. Haley sighed, thankful that Jamie had gotten her brains and not Nathans. Jamie opened his mouth to reply, but Haley quickly interuppted.

"Jame, your dad and I are going to the doctors today for a...checkup. So since it's a p.a. day for you, we're going to drop you off at Brooke's for the day, okay?"

Jamie sighed again. "Brooke's for the second day in a row, yay." He said flatly. Nathan and Haley exchanged a confused look. Jamie saw this exchange, so he explained himself.

"It's not that I don't love Brooke and Julian, because I do. It's just that, I'm _always_ at their house, so I don't get to spend a lot of time with you guys." Jamie admitted, biting his lip. Haley's heart sank as she realized that this fact was entirely true. She loved Nathan with all her heart, but she also loved Jamie the same amount, and she was giving Nathan more of her attention, and pushing Jamie to the backburner.

"Aw, Jame, I'm really sorry you feel that way, bud. It's true, we haven't spent as much time together, especially as a family, since your dad's gone for more than half the year..."

Just like the previous night, Nathan's heart sank. First, it was his fault for Haley's loneliness, and now, his fault _again_ for Jamie's heatrtbreaking confession.

"...but you have to know that we still, and always will love you, okay?"

Jamie nodded.

"So how about when me and your dad get home, we can all go to the park as a family, and then get some icecream!" Haley suggested, watching Jamie's eyes widen at the idea.

"Okay!" He accepted, hugging Haley before running off to get ready for the day. Haley turned to Nathan with her hand over her chest.

"I feel _so_ guilty." She said as Nathan wrapped his arms around her, closing the distance between them. 

"Me too," he whispered, and then added almost unaudibly, "you have no idea."

*****At the Doctors Office**

"I love this stuff." Haley smiled as Dr. Seeling squirted the blue goo all over Haley's stomach. Since they weren't at the hospital, Dr. Rivers wasn't there, but Dr. Seeling was the best female doctor in all of Tree Hill. Nathan had picked her out, making sure that she was: a) qualified. He didn't want some bimbo nursing his family, and b) a woman. If a man (besides Dr. Rivers) was there rubbing that blue goo all over Haley's stomach, Nathan knew he would feel compelled to punch his lights out, so a woman doctor was the safest path to take. And it was a smart path, too. Dr. Seeling was nice, funny, compassionate, and very knowledgeable.

"Yeah, I love the feeling of it too," Dr. Seeling replied before turning her back to hook up the ultra sound machine. Nathan took a swipe of the goo off of Haley's stomach while Dr. Seeling's back was turned, and rubbed it between his fingers. They weren't lying, it felt pretty awesome.

"Okay, so we're just past two months, correct?" Dr. Seeling asked as she started to massage Haley's stomach with the paddle. The black and white screen flickered on, and the inside of Haley's stomach appeared.

"Yeah, actually, we're at two months and one week exactly today." Haley said, causing Nathan to smile. Of _course_ Haley knew the exact date.

"That's very punctual of you." Dr. Seeling commented, her focus mainly on Haley's uterus.

Haley giggled. "Well, you know the saying, knowledge is power."

Dr. Seeling grinned, nodding. "Yes, yes it is." She looked up at the black and white screen briefly. "Oh, look! There's your baby's head." She pointed out, her index finger showing Nathan and Haley the place where to look on the screen.

"Wow," Nathan breathed, noticing the little head turning to face the screen. He could see the faint outline of the eyes, nose, and mouth on their child. He grabbed Haley's hand, watching her stare in awe at the screen.

"That's incredible." She stated, squeezing Nathan's hand. Dr seeling nodded, moving the paddle around Haley's stomach some more. There were tiny limbs, still in the development stage. His or her fingers were like little buds, still growing, still changing. The ultrasound monitor beeped, signalling the end of their session.

"Bye, baby." Haley whispered quietly before the screen went black. Dr. Seeling gathered a couple paper towels together and wiped off Haley's stomach. 

"Well, your baby seems to be fine, so all is well. Call me if there are any complications." She told the couple. Haley nodded happily, thankful that her baby was doing good. 

"Thanks, Dr. Seeling." Nathan said as him and Haley left the office. They walked together to the car and hopped in.

"It was nice having you there." Haley said as they buckled up and drove away. Nathan looked at his beautiful wife, a smile adorning her face. Would she have been this smiley if he wasn't there? For the third time in less than twenty four hours, Nathan felt a cold pang of guiltiness.

*****At The Park With Jamie**

"Can you give me an under-doggie?" Jamie exclaimed as Nathan alternated pushing Jamie on one swing, and Haley on the one next to Jamie. 

"Yeah, an under-doggie!" Haley shouted goofily.

"I sure can!" Nathan joined in on their loud voices, giving Jamie one swift push before running under him, skyrocketing his son way up high.

"My turn!" Haley announced as Nathan made his way behind her. He did the same actions as he did to Jamie, ducking as he ran under his wife's dangling legs.

"Wheeee!" Haley screamed as she plumeted towards the ground, only to be brought up quickly in the opposite direction. The swings were definitely her favorite part of the park.

Jamie hopped off his swing and ran over to the monkey bars. Nathan followed, pulling a reluctant Haley off the swings.

"This is so much fun mom and dad!" Jamie expressed as his small fingers wrapped around the bars. He used his Scott strength to make is all the way to the end, dropping himself onto the grainy sand. Nathan and Haley clapped for their son as he took a bow, letting the praise sink in.

"Can we go get icecream now, momma?" He asked, walking over to his parents. He squeezed inbetween them and took both of their hands, the three of them walking to the central part of town together.

"Yeah sure, let's go."

*****At Home That Night**

When the family had gotten to the icecream shop, Jamie had bravely ordered the twelve-scoop icecream cone, finishing it off in minutes. Nathan and Haley were astonished at their sons eating abilities, Jamie claiming that Skills had "taught him everything he knows". They then proceeded to leave, Jamie passing out in the car from the exhaustion of his day. Nathan carried him home and into bed, and he was asleep by 8:30.

"We should start packing." Haley suggested when Jamie was all tucked in. Nathan sighed. Packing meant leaving.

"Yeah, I guess so." He said. Haley toyed with her locket before kissing Nathan on the cheek. She skipped to their bedroom, clearly excited about getting to go to Charlotte. Nathan, on the other hand, didn't want anywhere near that city. He took a step back and peeked into Jamie's room, watching his son's even breathing, his eyes closed in a peaceful slumber. He then looked into his and Haley's room, and saw Haley kneeling on their bed, tucking strands of hair behind her perfect ear, folding something with precise concentration. These two people were his whole world, and he was held liable for their pain and suffering while he was away. For their seclusion, their insecurities. It was all his fault. And he wasn't about to let life go on in this vicious circle of only seeing his family for a quarter of the year. Nope, Nathan Scott was a family guy, and he was not going to allow this. Haley couldn't take it, Jamie couldn't take it, and Nathan knew darn well that the moment he let go of Jamie's hand, the moment he kissed Haley for the last time, he would regret every single step he took after. So he decided to take a stand.

Nathan whipped out his cell phone and clicked speed dial number 3.

"Hey, bro." Clay answered. "What's up?" 

Nathan wasn't going to dilly-dally. He wasn't going to let this guiltiness control him any longer. He was getting straight to the point, keeping it short and sweet.

"I think I want to quit the NBA."

**Oooookay. There's Chapter 10! I'll update as soon as possible, I still have more exams to study for.. oh joy.**

Thanks for reading! (:


	13. Second Brain

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. :(**

Summary: _**Clay was a little bit worried at Nathan's contrast. He went from being so unsure about which road he was about to travel, to completely altered and mindset on this new adjudication.  
**_

_It's not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are. -Roy Disney_

__"Sorry, is this Nathan Scott?"

Nathan sighed, putting his hand against the railing on the top floor of his house. "Yes. Clay, I need you to listen to me."

"Nu-uh." Clay said stubbornly. "We are not having this discussion." 

Nathan's eyes narrowed. He could make or break Clay's career at any moment, Clay did not want to be talking back to him. "I think we are." Nathan shot back, his hand moving to his forehead, deeply massaging it.

"Okay, I'm coming over. We're not doing this over the phone." Clay said sternly, before hanging up. Nathan heard the dial tone and slowly relaxed. Clay took that better than he thought he would. But then again, he hadn't actually _faced_ him yet. That was a whole other story.

"Babe, what's wrong?" Haley called softly from their room, not wanting to wake Jamie. _Oh God _Nathan thought. _Haley is going to __**freak**__._

Nathan walked cautiously to their room, where Haley was situated on their bed, continuing her folding process. Nathan walked around and sat across from her.

"We need to talk." He said, watching her expression. She stayed relatively calm, her eyes darting to the sleeves of one of her sweaters that she was overlapping. 

"You're not breaking up with me, are you?" Haley joked, chuckling at her sweater. She looked up at Nathan, expecting to see him smiling along with her. But instead she was met with serious eyes, unusual for Nathan. _Especially _around Haley. 

"Hales," he whispered softly, taking her hand that was holding the hood of her sweater. Haley raised an eyebrow, waiting for Nathan to spit something out. And when he did, he was so unaudible, so unsure of the unfamiliar path he was about to take himself down, that Haley didn't hear it. 

"Sorry, say that again?" Haley asked.

Nathan grunted, getting up from the bed. He grabbed a picture of Haley and Jamie from a couple of years ago. They were at a museum, a huge dinosaur skeleton behind them. Haley's arms were wrapped around Jamie's stomach, her lips kissing his cheek. Jamie was blushing while he had his arm wrapped around the side of his mom's head. It was the perfect picture of a loving mother-son relationship. Nathan remembered that day like it was yesterday. It was the age for Jamie when all he was interested in was dinosaurs. So, one day, the family took a road trip up to the Museum of Natural History to see some real dinosaur skeletons. Haley was awestruck by all the new history information she was learning, and Jamie was ecstatic when he came face to face with a dinosaur skeleton one hundred times his size. Nathan remembered being reluctant about going, but ended up having a great time just watching Jamie and Haley have a blast there. 

And in that instant, with Nathan standing there, holding a picture of the two most important people in his lives, he knew he made the right desicion. He would never leave his family again.

"I want to quit the NBA."

Haley coughed, as if she just choked on something. "Sorry, did I just hear you correctly?" She clarified. "I thought you said that you wanted to quit the NBA." She laughed, shaking her head, her eyes going back to her folding. Nathan sighed. She wasn't going to take this as well as Clay did.

"I'm serious, Haley."

_Uh-oh._ Haley thought. _He used my full name. He __**is **__serious._

"Um, why?" She asked dumbfoundedly. "It's your dream."

Nathan shook his head. "_You're _my dream."

Haley sat on the bed, her lips pursed, trying to figure out Nathan's reasoning. Then suddenly, it dawned on her.

"Ohhhhhh no. No no no no no." She spat out, getting up off the bed. "Nope, nope, nope. Sorry, no dice. No way jose. Not at all, no way in hell, nope." She said quickly, as if she said the words more frequently and faster, they would somehow change Nathan's mind. "You are NOT quitting the NBA because of me. Nope. Sorry."

Nathan took two big strides and brought Haley in his arms, pulling her as tightly into his chest without crushing her. He breathed in her scent - honey mixed with vanilla, felt her hair - smooth and silky, and rubbed her back - soft and warm. More and more reasons kept popping up in Nathan's brain for him to quit basketball, until he couldn't think of any reasons he would've even wanted to play basketball in the first place. 

"Haley, I need you to listen to me. You, out of all people, need to not think I'm crazy, because there's a world full of people who are going to think my reasoning is stupid once news breaks, so I just need one person on my side, okay?" Nathan pleaded as Haley pulled away. She brushed some hair out of her face and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'm listening."

Nathan's eyes softened as he took a deep breath, explaining himself.

"I can't do it. I can't be away from you or Jamie for 9 months at a time. I'm physically unable to do it. I was making myself sick all last season missing you and Jamie. If there's one thing I'll regret when I'm old, looking back on my life, it'll be that I didn't spend enough time with my family, not giving up a sport."

Haley shook her head, putting her index finger and thumb to the bridge of her nose.

"Nathan, this is your _dream_." Nathan opened his mouth to protest, but Haley stopped him. "No, don't go all 'you're my dream' on me. I know you love me, Nathan. But I also witnessed how dark you got when your dream was taken away from you. And now, I'm afraid that if you do quit basketball because of me, you'll somehow end up...blaming me or something when you start to miss it. And I _know_ you'll start to miss it, because I know you Nathan." Haley took a deep breath when she saw Nathan's guard falling, his lips trembling, his eyes glossing over. She stepped closer to him, cupping his cheek.

"Hey," She said when his eyes lost contact with hers. He forced himself to look into her chocolate orbs again. "It's not like we're never going to see eachother. Just like last season, we'll make it work. Visiting eachother, talking on the phone, skype..." Haley trailed off as Nathan took a shaky breath. 

"Yeah, sure. You might've seen me when basketball got taken away from me, but you didn't see me when you were on tour. Ask Lucas, ask Peyton, ask Brooke, ask _anyone_. I was a complete mess. And I love you more now than I did back then."

"Nathan, I know what you were like back then, I heard. But -" 

Haley was cut off my an angry knock at their front door. Haley walked down the steps, opening the door to a very frustrated Clay.

"I know why. I know why you want to quit. I figured it out on the car ride over." Clay annouced, pacing like a little kid on a sugar high. 

"Clay..." Nathan started. 

"NO!" Clay quipped, glaring at Nathan. "It's because of the money, isn't it! Aha, I knew it! I knew it I knew it I knew it!" He growled. Nathan raised an eyebrow at him.

"Clay, it's because he thinks he'll miss me and Jamie too much." Haley whispered, pointing up to Jamie's room, indicating that he was sleeping. Clay blushed, his mouth forming a circle.

"Oh. Well, that I can deal with. Let's talk about it." Clay said, making his way to Nathan and Haley's couches.

"Yes, let's." Haley agreed, plopping herself down on the couch across from Clay. Nathan sat beside Haley, resting his elbows on his quads.

"Okay, explain." Clay said, crossing one of his legs over the other, putting his hands behind his head.

So Nathan explained the exact same story he did to Haley. Clay nodded throughout the whole thing, his eyes focused. He even cracked a smile when Haley added that she would feel extremely guilty if Nathan gave up something he's worked his whole life for, for her. When Nathan finished, Clay just sat there, absorbing this newfound knowledge.

"I can see how you would feel guilty about this, Haley." Clay started. "But, if this is how you feel Nathan..."

"No!" Haley exclaimed, her voice raising. She immediately clamped her mouth shut, remembering Jamie still sleeping. She tried again, her voice a harsh whisper. "Nathan, I love you, therefore, I am not going to let you make stupid desicions. Like this one. You've worked your _whole_ life for this! So, sorry. I'm not allowing it." Haley crossed her arms stubbornly over her chest.

"She just doesn't understand my love for her." Nathan said to Clay, right infront of Haley. Haley gaped at Nathan.

"Are you kidding me?" She growled threateningly. Nathan leaned back as Haley fumed. "Wow, you can be such an asshole sometimes." She glared at Nathan before storming out of the room, into the kitchen.

"Hormones?" Clay whispered through his hands. Nathan just shook his head and stood up, following Haley.

"Hales..." Nathan started sternley, before he noticed Haley's tears. "Oh God..." he said, rushing over to Haley. He pulled her into his arms, wrapping them protecively around her. "I'm so sorry, Hales," he whispered into her hair.

"Nathan," she whispered, a few tears trickling down her cheeks. "I don't want you to hate me or Jamie. Which is what will end up happening in a few years, when you want to play basketball again, and realize you _can't_. Being in the NBA is something little boys - and even grown men - dream of accomplishing their _whole _lives. And guess what? You're living that dream. If you give up that dream that you've worked so hard for, for Jamie and I, one day somewhere down the line, you'll regret it. I know you will. And then you'll start to hate Jamie and I because we were the reasons you quit. I don't want to be the reason, okay? If you ever _do_ decide to quit, make it for something like injury. You're making it seem like you'll never see Jamie or I again if you play in the NBA."

Nathan sighed, rubbing Haley's back. "But I miss you guys _so_ much when I'm gone."

"And you don't think we miss you too?" Haley chuckled sadly. "Of course we do, Nathan. But we're happy, because you're out there doing something you love. And do you think Jamie'll think? His hero, giving up. What would you do at home, anyways? Sit on the couch, wondering what if?"

"I never really thought about that..." Nathan trailed off. Haley nodded her head.

"Which is why you're married. You've got a second brain with you, Scott." 

"So you're saying that I should've thought this over better?" 

Haley rested her head against Nathan's chest. "That's exactly what I'm saying."

*****Later**

"So, what are you going to do, Nate?" Clay asked, drinking a cup of coffee. It was about ten o'clock by then, and Haley was upstairs packing for Charlotte.

"I don't know, man. I'll do this next game in Charlotte for Jamie and Haley, but after that, this might be the end." Nathan said, his voice full of undecidedness. Clay huffed.

"I think you have two problems here man," he started, wiggling his index finger infront of Nathan's face. "One, you're blinded by love. Yes, you love Haley. I've never seen someone who loves another person more than you love her. And that's saying a lot, because I was _insanley_ in love with Sarah, and I'm like that with Quinn too. But they way you are with Haley, doesn't even compare.

"Your second problem is, you're living in the present. You need to be like Haley and I and think for the future. Where do you see yourself in ten years? Sitting on the couch, doing nothing, or winning your tenth basketball championship?"

The question was clearly rhetorical, but Nathan answered anyways. 

"Tenth basketball championship..." He said quietly, embarrased and ashamed that he couldn't pick Haley and Jamie over that. But then he realized that he didn't have to have it either or. He could have both. God, first making Haley choose music or him, now making himself choose basketball or family. He should be living in a different century.

Clay smiled a toothy grin. "And there's nothing wrong with that, dude! You'll get to see Haley and Jamie, _and_ have your dream. See? It all works out in the end," he said easily, finally getting his Nathan problem off his shoulders. But Nathan still wasn't convinced.

"Hey, I never said that I wouldn't quit yet. I'm going to talk to Haley more, and then we'll see." 

Clay smiled, still clearly optimistic on the outcome. He had the right to be - Haley was obviously on his side for this battle.

"We'll see." He repeated, slapping Nathan on the back before leaving the house.

Nathan trudged up the stairs, to find Haley zipping up the last suitcase. He padded over to her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

"I don't know what to do. I'm honestly torn." He admitted, biting his lip.

"I guess I should tell you to follow your heart, but in this case, that may lead you in the wrong direction." Haley said.

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "And that direction would be..." He kissed the crook of her neck. 

"Whichever direction you think it is." 

Nathan chuckled. "You're a terrible second brain."

Haley sighed half-heartedly. "Sorry."

"I forgive you," he whispered, his lips touching her hair.

"How about we try to forget about this until after your Charlotte game? I don't want to ruin the trip for Jamie." Haley tried, resting her head back against Nathan's shoulder.

"Yeah, good idea."

"Oh, so my second brain was suffice this time?" Haley giggled, wiggling out of Nathan's arms so she could face him. His eyes shined as they smiled at her, his lips turned up in an adorable grin.

"You always suffice me. Wait, what does suffice even mean?" He laughed, inching towards Haley, just to reach out and start tickling her. "Ha-ha. I've got you now." He whispered seductively in her ear, his hands jiving around her stomach.

"Na...Nat...Nate..." Haley squeaked out between laughs. "St...stop!"

But Haley's desperate struggles were no match for Nathan's muscular arms. They fell onto the bed, Haley still sqeeling and squirming.

"We're going to wake Jamie!" Haley spat out in one breath. Nathan rolled his eyes.

"That kid sleeps like the dead. I'm pretty sure we won't."

_Dead_. The word panged in Haley's mind, causing her to stop fidgeting in Nathan's arms. This caused Nathan to stop tickling Haley, and think about his choice of words.

"Oh...Hales..." he started, but Haley held up her index finger to him.

"Sh," she said quietly, her eyes thoughtful. A couple seconds later, she spoke.

"I was just thinking of how many people we're connected to that have died. Too many." Haley commented.

"Yeah," Nathan breathed, releasing his grasp on Haley. He smoothed her hair with his hand. "But we have to be thankful for who and what we have now."

"I am. Really." Haley said truthfully. "For you, for Jamie, for _everyone_."

"Yes, I know you are. Because that's who you are, Haley James. Big heart."

Haley sighed. "I do my best."

Nathan grinned at his wife's extreme modesty.

"Now, I need to put these suitcases downstairs! Don't attack me with your tickles anymore, please. I can't take it." Haley smiled, jumping when Nathan's hands grabbed her waist quickly.

"Nathan!" She exclaimed in a quiet voice. She slapped his hands away from her waist, freeing herself. "Not funny." She whispered in his face, her lips inching closer to his. Nathan closed his eyes, preparing himself for her soft, warm, kiss; but was left hanging as he heard Haley's footsteps out the door. 

"Where'd you go?" Nathan chuckled before Haley stuck her head back into their room. 

"What can I say? Paybacks a bitch." She stated before tip-toeing down the stairs, suitcases in hand. Nathan fell back in the bed, his hands rubbing his eyes.

No, decision making was a bitch.

*****The Next Morning**

"Dad! Momma! Charlotte today!" Jamie screeched, scarfing down his pancakes the second Haley set down his plate.

"Don't choke." Haley warned. Jamie just looked up at her, as if she had talked in a different language.

"Momma, don't you realize that we're going to _Charlotte_ today?" He said, his eyes widening with each word.

"Of course I do. Who do you think packed your suitcase last night?" Haley replied, eating her pancaked at the island.

"You thank your mother." Nathan told Jamie, pointing his fork at Haley. Haley instantly remembered their conversation about being thankful for the little things in life.

"Thank you, momma." Jamie said, his mouth full of half-eaten pancakes.

"You're welcome. Now swallow."

Jamie swallowed, gulped down his milk, and headed upstairs to change into his clothes for the day. Haley and Nathan cleaned up the kitchen together, none of them mentioning Nathan maybe quitting the NBA. For those moments, it was like the whole incident never happened.

*****In The Car**

"Sixty-five bottles of rootbeer on the wall, sixty-five bottles of rootbeer..." Jamie sang obnoxiously loud. Haley rubbed her temple with her hands. They were still four hours away. This was going to be a long drive.

"Make it stop..." Haley groaned. Quinn looked at Haley, who looked like she was either about to pass out or throw up.

"Look, Jame! A reindeer on the field out there!" Quinn spat out, pointing to a deserted, dry, field to Jamie's right. His head whipped to the side, his singing becoming absent.

"Thank you," Haley whispered morbidly, resting her head on Quinn's shoulder. Quinn and Haley sat together in the back of the Range Rover, Jamie in the middle section, and Clay and Nathan in the front. Clay and Nathan were engrossed in come conversation about basketball, somehow not even noticing Jamie's singing.

"There's nothing there!" Jamie discovered, his lips pouting. "And besides, reindeer only come on Christmas eve. It's only December first!"

"Oh yeah, duh." Quinn replied, chuckling under her breath. Haley closed her eyes, falling out of consciousness. And before she knew it, Quinn was shaking her shoulders, indicating that the four hours she had had left before she had fallen asleep, were over.

"We're here already?" Haley asked groggily, rubbing her eyes. At first her vision was hazy, but then she started to make out four very concerned looking faces less than an inch away from hers.

"Oh thank God." Nathan breathed, squeezing the hand that Haley just realized he was holding. She squinted, as if there was a light that was too bright, and looked out her window. They were stopped on the side of the highway.

"Whaa?" Haley asked, her head spinning.

"Okay, lets get her out of the car." Clay decided. Quinn unbuckled her sister, and Nathan lifted Haley out of the backseat. He set her down on the grass on the side of the road, only to have Haley's legs almost buckle.

"Whoa." She said, balancing herself. Her head was spinning, an earsplitting beat in her ears, almost like she was hungover. Her hands flew up to her head, holding it still. "Did you guys drug me or something?" Haley grumbled, sitting down against the wheel of the car. Nathan quickly sat down on one side of her, Quinn on the other. Jamie and Clay crouched down infront of Haley. She looked around herself, feeling suffocated.

"You fainted, Hales." Quinn said, holding her sister's hand. Haley raied an eyebrow slowly. 

"No...I fell asleep?" She questioned, thinking back to resting her head on Quinn's shoulder, and then having everything go black.

"No. You rested your head on my shoulder, and then you fell onto my lap, and didn't wake up for twenty minutes." Quinn replied. Haley closed her eyes, remembering.

"Really?" She said, inspecting the faces around her once again. Quinn had a sympathetic look on her face, Nathan an apprihensive one, concern colouring Clay's eyes, and a flat out petrified look on Jamie's face.

"Are you okay, momma?" He squeaked nervously. Even though her head felt like it was exploding and spinning at an alarming rate, her vision dizzy, Haley forced a smile and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm okay bud."

Jamie let out a sigh of relief. But Clay, Quinn, and Nathan weren't convinced.

"Maybe we should go to the hospital." Nathan suggested, preparing for Haley to turn down the offer with the usual _oh no, I'm okay_ or, _really, Nathan, it's no big deal_.

"I'm okay. I just need to walk it off." Haley replied, getting up wobbly from her spot on the ground. Nathan and Clay went on either sides of her while Quinn held onto Jamie's hand. Nathan wrapped his arm securely around Haley's waist, Clay's around her shoulder.

"Phew. Okay, I'm okay." Haley realized as her dizziness started to slowly decrease, the pounding in her head settling down to a faint beat. 

"Okay, let's keep walking." Nathan encouraged. Clay decided to go the distraction route. 

"So, Haley. How's your music coming along?" He asked. Haley smiled at the word "music".

"Good, good. I've had a lot of time to play since Nathan's been gone. That piano is amazing."

"And I see you liked your necklace that Nathan got you." Clay leaned over to talk to Nathan, "see, I told you she would like it," he smiled.

"I love it, actually. It's beautiful." Haley corrected, noticing that she felt completely fine by now. They were about thirty meters away from Quinn and Jamie.

"Maybe we should go to the hospital because of the baby." Nathan said quietly, even though they were out of earshot from Jamie. Clay's head snapped up at Nathan's words.

"BABY?" He exclaimed excitedly, his eyebrows raising. Nathan glared at him, putting his hand over Clay's mouth.

"Jamie doesn't know," Haley informed him as Nathan unclampled his hand from Clay's lips. Clay nodded his head, his eyes still wide.

"Wow, congrats!" He grinned. "How long have you known?"

"Just over two months. I don't think I need to go to the doctors - I'm feeling fine now." Haley said. Nathan did not look convinced.

"_Really_."

Nathan grunted. "Ugh, fine. But if you even feel the _slightest_ bit dizzy slash tired slash weak slash head achey slash..."

Haley cut Nathan off with a quick kiss, causing him to flush deeply.

"I'm okay. O-k-a-y. Okay." 

He sighed. "Okay."

*****At Nathan and Clay's House**

"Wow, this is _awesome_!" 

Were Jamie's first words after he got a good look around Clay and Nathan's house in Charlotte. Quite an upgrade from their house last season, this one being on the beach, having more space, more rooms, higher ceilings, more flattering colours on the walls and so on and so on.

"This really is great." Quinn said, plopping down onto the couch, fully equipped with a recliner. She reclined back and fell asleep almost instantly.

"Out like a light." Clay said, admiring Quinn's face. Haley smiled at how much Clay liked Quinn. Even though Haley would always like David, she knew that Clay and Quinn were a much better match. 

"Okay. Nate, you and Haley can get the master bedroom, since I'm nice." Clay said.

"Where am I sleeping, Uncle Clay?" Jamie asked, hopping up and down. Clay put his hand on Jamie's back, guiding him down the hall of bedrooms.

"Well you see, I've got this really special bedroom, only for guys like you..."

Haley turned to face Nathan once Clay and Jamie's voices were muffled by the walls. 

"How are you?" She asked, wrapping her arms around Nathan's waist. Nathan had been visibly more stressed out and less chatty and goofy, like the old Nathan, once they had started driving again after Haley's incident. Haley felt bad that he was always so worried about her.

"Still undecided. Seeing you faint like that, it makes me worried. Who's going to be there for you when you faint the next time?"

"Quinn?" Haley tried, giggling cautiously. Nathan shook his head.

"_I_ want to be there. Well, wait. Don't get me wrong. I don't want you to faint at_ all_, but if you have to, I want to be the one there comforting you, making sure you're okay."

Haley sighed. "Nathan, I'm not like, crippled or something. I can take care of myself. I really appreciate how much you care, but I think you care _too_ much."

Nathan was taken aback. Was there such thing as caring too much? His eyes widened as realization kicked in that maybe Haley didn't _want_ him around. Was it crazy to think that? For a second, Nathan thought yes, but then he thought of Josh, and all the guys like him in Tree Hill, all "big fans" of Haley and himself. 

"_Fine_." Nathan shot back. "If that's the way you feel, then I'll leave you alone." He spat, moving Haley's arms back from around his waist, stalking away.

"Nathan," Haley said wearily. "Where are you going?" 

"I'm _going_ to stop worrying about you."

And with that, the door slammed shut, causing Quinn to jump up from her slumber.

"Whoa, hey, I'm awake!"

Haley groaned as Clay came out of the bedroom, a confused look on his face.

"What's wrong?" 

"Go ask Nathan." Haley replied, cocking her head towars the door. Clay went outside, to find Nathan sitting on the porch step, his head in his hands. 

"Are you okay, man?" Clay asked, patting Nathan's back as he sat down beside him. Nathan removed his hands from his face so he could respond.

"I'm going to go public about my desicion after tomorrow's game." He stated, his voice strong.

Clay stared at him incredulously. "You know what you're going to do?"

Nathan nodded his head. "Yup. I think I always knew. I was just reminded of that answer a couple seconds ago, which made everything crystal clear."

Clay was a little bit worried at Nathan's contrast. He went from being so unsure about which road he was about to travel, to completely altered and mindset on this new adjudication. 

"And that answer is..."

Nathan shrugged. "Alls I'm going to say is, I'm following my heart."

**Okay. There's Chapter 11.  
Phew, I think that's my longest chapter yet.**

I just want to say thank you for all the comments and favorites and subscriptions, and everything! It really means a lot to me (:  


**Chapter 12 will be coming your way soooooon.  
I still need to get through exams, ahaa. :/  
**


	14. Initiative

**Hi! Before I do the summary and stuff, I need to let you guys know that I changed some stuff. In the last chapter, it's Saturday, and Nathan says his game is on Sunday. Well, I changed it to the game being on Saturday in this chapter, because Jamie, Quinn, and Haley had to leave on Sunday to get home. So yeah, just thought I'd give you guys the heads up. :) **

**Summary: **_**When she heard no response, she opened the door just a crack, only to find Brooke sitting cross legged on the floor, her jaw dropped open.**_

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this story, sadly.  
**  
"I love basketball. I've loved it ever since I knew what a basketball was. Growing up, it was the only thing that ever mattered to me. The one thing that I knew best. The one thing I could always turn to, when life got difficult. The one thing that would make everything disappear the second I stepped onto the court. 

"But then I met my wife, Haley. My love for basketball was still there, but Haley came along and took a big chunk of my heart. The sport that always got me through tough times turned into the person. The one person who I could - and still can - always rely on. The one person who would save me when I screwed up. The one person who loved me even through my darkest moments. I love my wife so much it's verging on ridiculous. 

"My son, Jamie, the strongest seven year old I've ever met in my life. He's been through so many hardships that adults my age and older never even _dream_ of facing, and still somehow remains the goofy, intelligent child he is. I love him so much.

"I have three things here. Three things that I cherish, three things that I love. Basketball, my wife, and my son.

"Two months ago, I had a reality check. I had an awesome time with my team last season, so I left for my second season excited and ready to play. My wife's mother had passed away just recently at the time, which made me a little bit reluctant to leaving her, but I knew I had to, so I did. And suddenly, the first week of the season felt like a year. I still loved playing - don't get me wrong -, but I felt like I was missing out at home. Jamie's growing up quickly. Haley's music is everchanging. I was feeling as if I wasn't apart of the family anymore.

"Which brings me to the reason why I called this press conference. I've decided to resign from my position on the Charlotte Bobcats basketball team. I hope you all respect my decision. I'm sorry to my fans, I'm greatful for everything you've done for me. Please do not take this personally."

Nathan sighed, setting his sheet down. He looked up at Haley, Clay, and Quinn, his expression distraught.

"You made the right choice." Clay assured him, nodding his head. 

"You really think so?" He asked, watching Haley. She was looking away, down at the ground. 

"Not giving up basketball was the best choice." Clay affirmed.

Quinn interceeded. "But that speech was really good, if you had read that at the press conference, there would've been no way people could've gotten mad at you." 

Nathan smiled slightly at Quinn. "Thanks." 

"Yeah, it made me tear up a little..." Clay joked, his index finger swooping under his eye. 

"Oh shut up, man."

Clay chuckled, "but it really was touching. But again, staying in basketball was the right decision." He got up from his seat on the porch. 

"Let's go inside, Quinn." Clay said, giving Nathan and Haley some time. 

"I'm sorry." Nathan said as soon as he heard the door click shut. Haley rolled her eyes, getting up from her chair, prepared to follow Clay and Quinn inside. Nathan caught her wrist just in time though, pulling her towards him. A tear slipped down Haley's cheek, but she wiped it away before Nathan had the chance. After Nathan's basketball game on the Saturday night, he had confronted Haley about him thinking she didn't want him around anymore. And Haley got **pissed**.

*****Flashback**

_"How can you even say that?" Haley demanded, stopping in her tracks. They were in their bedroom after Nathan's winning game, Nathan in the connecting bathroom, Haley making her way to their bed. She piveted around, stalking back into the bathroom where Nathan held a toothbrush in his mouth.  
_

_"When I think of losers like Josh..." he trailed off when he saw Haley narrow her eyes threateningly at him. "I mean, when I think of guys like Josh?" He tried again. Haley shook her head slowly, the intensity of her glare increasing._

"You." She spat out, "Think that I don't want you around. Me, who's given up her career for you, gone through hell for you, etcetera etcetera. You're right Nathan, I don't want you around."

"Well when you put it like that..."

"When I 'put it like that'? There is no other way to put it, Nathan. I can't believe you would even say that!"

Nathan ran his hand through his hair. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I should've thought before I spoke. You're right."

"No, you're not sorry. If you were sorry, you wouldn't have said it." Haley said, each word filled with more disappointment than the last. She walked out of the bathroom, grabbed her pillow, and slammed their bedroom door shut. 

__And that had been the last time they talked. __

"After all these years together, how can you even say something like that?" Haley asked sadly, refusing to make eye contact.

"Because I'm an idiot. You know that." Nathan said helplessley, praying for Haley to just look at him.

Haley scoffed. "Clay told me that after you stormed out of the house the day of your game, you told him that you were certain about your decision, and that you were going to follow your heart. What was your choice?" 

"You. And Jamie."

Haley looked at him for the first time that day. "Really?"

"Yup. But then, I thought more about it after our fight, and I realized that if I didn't stay in the NBA, you would get even _more_ mad at me,"

"Very true." 

"So," Nathan continued, "here we are. Back at square one. Me being an ass, and you being mad at me."

"Ah, the good old days of when we first met." Haley sighed, sitting down on the chair beside Nathan.

"Yeah, I was a jerk back then. And yesterday, I was being a jerk as well. And you didn't deserve that."

Haley stayed quiet.

"And come on, Hales. You're leaving today. I don't want you to go and still be angry with me."

Haley sighed. "I'm not so much angry with you anymore, as I am disappointed with myself."

"With _yourself_?" Nathan asked, confused. Haley nodded dejectedly. 

"Yeah. Like I haven't showed you how much I love you enough. Like after my mom's death? When I pushed you away, instead of letting you help me. How you're always the first one to say 'I love you'. Maybe I should be taking more initiative..."

"Hales, stop. See? This is why I love you. Even when I should be the one you're disappointed in, you turn it on yourself. But it's unhealthy, so stop, please. I'm the idiot. I guess, just not having you all the time makes me go a little crazy and say stupid stuff," 

"You always have me."

"I get jealous too easily." Nathan continued. "And I don't think before I speak. I don't wait thirty minutes after eating before I swim. I skip flossing some nights. I snore. I suck at math. I don't wash my hair every other day, I wash it every day. You see? There are tons of reasons you should be mad at me, not yourself." 

Haley got up from her chair and sat herself down slowly on Nathan's lap. "I'm sorry," she whispered, resting her chin on his shoulder. Nathan instantly wrapped his arms around her, thankful that he was forgiven.

"What are you apologizing for?" 

"I don't know. But I do know that I'm going to miss you." Haley mumbled, kissing Nathan's shoulder.

"I'll miss you too. But you know what?"

"What?" 

"Christmas is in twenty three days. Which means we'll be together again." He whispered softly, kissing Haley's ear gently. 

"Santa Claus is coming to town..." Haley sang quietly, shifting in Nathan's arms.

"You going to kiss me under the misletoe?" Nathan asked, looking Haley in the eye. Haley blushed, looking at her fingers.

"Well, that depends if you flossed that day." Haley teased. Nathan laughed with her.

"Ooh good one. Well, I did this morning, so will you kiss me now?" He winked, already leaning in. Haley grinned widely.

"I guess so," she giggled before Nathan connected their lips tenderly, his hands roaming her back. Haley kissed him passionately, making up for the day they had spent not speaking to eachother. After they broke apart, Haley nuzzled her face into Nathan's chest, feeling his warmth radiating her. 

"I love you." They said at the same time. They laughed as Haley moved her head back up to face him.

"Initiative?" Nathan chuckled, pulling Haley down so he could kiss the top of her head.

"Initiative." Haley repeated.

*****Later That Day**

"Okay, anything left?" Clay asked.

"There better not be!" Jamie heaved, carrying the last suitcase out of the beach house.

"Is this considered child labour?" Quinn chuckled, helping Jamie put the suitcase in the Range Rover. 

"Nah, he helped move all of Peytons things into Lucas's house before. This is no big." Haley said, inspecting her nails. 

"Her stuff was so heavy!" Jamie remembered, taking a gulp of water Nathan had handed him.

"Alright, we have to go if we want to make it back before dark." Quinn said, checking her watch. 

"And we want to make it back before dark, or else we'll get lost." Haley said, making her way over to Clay so she could hug him goodbye.

"Take care of Nate for me," she said before letting him go. Clay smiled and nodded before moving onto Quinn. Haley stepped over to Nathan, who pulled her into a warm bear hug.

"Bye." Haley whispered in Nathan's chest as he pulled away, kissing her sweetly one last time before they parted. He slowly let go of her hand as she backed away to the car. 

"I love you." He said, a soft smile adorning his face. Haley's eyes watered.

"I love you too." She whispered, getting into the passenger side of the Range Rover. Nathan walked up to her window.

"Call me when you get home."

Haley nodded. 

"And remember, no stressing, worrying, anything." He added, staring into Haley's eyes seriously. 

"Yeah. Same goes for you." Haley said, cupping Nathan's cheek. He took her hand and kissed it before backing away. He poked his head in Jamie's window on the middle section of the car.

"Bye, bud. Love you." 

"See ya at Christmas, dad!" Jamie exclaimed. Nathan nodded and smiled as Jamie closed his window, the Range Rover starting up and driving away. Haley stuck her head out the window and waved at Clay and Nathan one last time.

And then they were gone. 

*****Back At Home  
**

"Okay, I love packing, but I hate upacking." Quinn complained, stuffing all of her unused clothes into drawers in her room. 

"Yeah, me too." Haley said, walking past Quinn's room. It was nine o'clock, and Jamie was out cold in his room. "Oh crap." Haley said, dropping her pile of dirty clothes on the floor. 

"What?" Quinn asked, looking up at Haley.

"I forgot to call Nathan." She replied, grabbing her cell phone out of her pocket. Just as she was about to click speed dial number two, Brooke called.

"Quinney, call Nate or Clay and tell them we're home. Brooke's calling me." Haley said, picking up her phone.

"Hey, Broo-" Haley started before being cut off by a hysterical sounding voice. 

_"Julian hates me!" _Brooke wallowed. Haley gasped, her mind reeling. She heard Brooke's desperate sobs through the line. 

"Wait. I'm coming over. I'll be there in two seconds." Haley hung up the phone, grabbing her purse.

"I'm going out. Watch Jamie." Haley said quickly, sprinting down the stairs, throwing her shoes on and closing the door. She hopped into the Range Rover and sped off to Brooke's. Once she got to the front door, she whipped it open to find a teary eyed Brooke sitting on her couch, dressed in sweatpants and a sweater, her hair in a messy ponytail. Uh oh. This was bad.

"Brooke." Haley breathed, dropping her coat on the floor. She rushed over to her, pulling her into a hug. "First of all, Julian doesn't hate you. Now, tell me what's wrong." 

Brooke peered up at Haley, tears dropping slowly from her bloodshot eyes. "We can't agree on a wedding date, I've been freaking throwing up all day, I'm late, I look _horrible_, and then he just walked out! He just left!" Brooke plucked another kleenex from her almost empty box, blowing her nose obnoxiously loud. 

"Well...what did he say when he left?" Haley asked, calming down. The situation probably wasn't as horrible as Brooke was making it out to be. 

"I don't know, I was barfing. It was totally gross. But he just left!" She repeated, throwing the used tissue into the piles around her. "Probably went to be wtih Alex." She muttered. Haley sat there, not listening anymore. Brooke was being hormonal, was late, and was throwing up. Oh...oh.

Oh!

"Brooke!" Haley exclaimed, digging through her purse only to pull out an unopened pregnancy test. Brooke's eyes widened at first glance, but then her expression dropped, becoming more dismal than before. 

"What, are you trying to rub it in my face? Yes, I get it Haley. You're pregnant, and I'm not! Why don't we just announce it to the whole flipping world!" Brooke threw up some tissues in the air, her lip turned down in a slight pout. 

"Brooke, think about it. You've been throwing up all day. You're late. You're hormonal. Take the test! It could be positive, you never know." Haley exclaimed, her eyes dancing with excitement. Even hormonal Brooke couldn't turn down a face like Haleys. 

"Fine." She mumbled, grabbing the test out of Haley's hand. Haley clapped her hands delightedly, watching Brooke slump into the bathroom.

Thirty seconds passed, and Haley got a little worried. She decided to give Brooke a little more time. 

Another thirty seconds. Haley got up from the couch, knocking on the bathroom door cautiously.

"Brooke? Are you...okay?" 

When she heard no response, she opened the door just a crack, only to find Brooke sitting cross legged on the floor, her jaw dropped open. Other than the obvious, her face was unreadable. Haley opened the door fully and stepped in. 

"Say something." She stated, her eyes widening. Brooke just moved the hand holding the pregnancy test up to Haley's eye level, her gaze remaining infront of her. 

"BROOKE!" 

"Don't tell me it's lying. Don't tell me I read wrong. Please say it's positive, _please_." Brooke said, her voice a monotone. Haley bent down, shaking her best friend's shoulders. 

"Brooke! It's positive!" Haley screeched, gageing Brooke's reaction. Her mouth spread wider, her pupils dialating. And then, it happened. 

"OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD!" Brooke shrieked, getting to her feet, pulling Haley with her. Once they were fully standing, Brooke started jumping up and down, suddenly enlivened.

"OH MY GOD!" Haley repeated, jumping with her. But then Brooke stopped abruptly.

"Wait. I've taken pregnancy tests before, and they've come back positive at home." She said slowly, remembering her pregnancy scare with Lucas. Haley nodded her head.

"So, we go to the hospi-"

"Brooke! I'm home. Got you some icecream, mint chocolate chip, your favoriiiiiiite." Julian said, closing and locking the door. Brooke's eyebrow perked up at his voice, rushing out of the bathroom.

"You didn't tell me you were getting icecream." She demanded, receivieng the bowl of icecream Julian offered her. Haley stepped out of the bathroom, hiding behind the wall. 

"Yes, I did. You were throwing up in the toilet, and I told you that I was going to get icecream. You glared at me, but I knew it was in a loving way." He joked. Brooke smiled up at him, wrapping her arm around his torso.

"Thank you." She said softly, taking a scoop of icecream and putting it in his mouth. Haley poked her eye out and around the wall, smiling at the adorable exchange between them. Julian caught her eye, and raised his eyebrow. 

"Hi there, Haley..." He said. Brooke whipped her head towards a red faced Haley. 

"Hi..." she said, revealing herself. Brooke laughed, leaving Julian.

"Sorry, I called Haley because of my sickness. She gave me some...medicine." 

Haley nodded her head as Julian inspected the two of them, obviously sniffing that they were up to something. He crossed his arms and gestured for one of them to continue. 

"But... she should go to the doctor and get it checked out. Hey! Here's a good idea. I'll take her!" Haley suggested, grabbing Brooke's hand, towing her out of the room. 

"Great idea, Haley!" Brooke said, setting her icecream bowl on the counter. "I'll text you!" She exclaimed before Haley closed the front door behind her, leaving a confused Julian behind.

"Girls..." he muttered, shaking his head.

*****At The Hospital**

"I may look calm on the outside, but on the inside I am freaking out." 

Haley chuckled at Brooke, putting her hand on Brooke's knee that hadn't stopped jumping since they had sat down in the waiting room.

"No, you look pretty freaked out on the outside too." 

Brooke sighed, running her hand through her greasy hair. "Ugh, I didn't even brush my hair today." 

"If it helps, paparazzi can't come in the hospital." Haley suggested, rubbing Brooke's knee. Brooke gulped loudly, smiling helpessly at Haley.

"Davis?" The receptionist called. 

"YES!" Brooke exclaimed, hopping up from her chair. Haley got up with her, walking over to the desk. 

"Room four." She said, directing Brooke and Haley down the hall. Brooke skipped down the hall, running into her room. Haley followed her calmly, trying to gage how Brooke would react if the test came back negative. Evidentally, negative wasn't an option for Brooke today. 

"So I understand that you want a pregnancy test?" Dr. Rivers asked, nodding at Haley as she entered the room.

"Yes please." Brooke smiled. Dr. Rivers nodded his head, handing Brooke a cup.

"Fill this up about half way, and then I'll take some blood, and we'll have your results in about an hour." Dr. Rivers directed. Brooke nodded, leaving the room with a certain hop in her step.

"She seems excited." Dr. Rivers laughed, reviewing some papers. 

"Yeah, well, that's Brooke for you." Haley replied, taking a seat on the chair beside the bed. 

"How are you?" Dr. Rivers asked, closing Brooke's folder. 

"I'm great. Everythings going really well so far." Haley smiled, her hands fluttering to her stomach. 

"Good." Dr. Rivers said before Brooke came out, holding the cup arms length away from her.

"Gross." She whispered under her breath, handing the cup to Dr. Rivers. He set it down in the basket beside him, and pulled out a needle. 

"Okay, this will only hurt a little bit." He said, putting a vile into the needle's body. Haley watched Brooke's reaction, her face calm. 

"Yup." She said, holding out her arm. Dr. Rivers preped her vein before sinking the needle in. Brooke watched the blood spurt up in the vile, while Haley's stomach churned. She didn't handle blood well. 

"Okay, you're done! You can go home, and we'll give you a call in about an hour."

"Okay!" Brooke squeeled. 

"Thank you, Dr. Rivers." Haley said, following Brooke out of the room. Once they were in the car, Brooke started fidgeting, toying with her phone. 

"I want to tell Julian. But I don't. But I do. But I don't." 

"Brooke, just wait another hour. You can do it. Now, I'm going to drop you at home, and you're not going to mention anything until it's certain, right?" Haley chastised. Brooke sighed. 

"Yes, mother."

"Good. Now go home and get some rest." Haley said while pulling up in the driveway. When the car was stopped, Brooke leaned over and hugged Haley. 

"Thank you, Tutor Mom. I couldn't have done this without you. I love you."

Haley smiled at her nickname. "No problem. Thank you for being such a great friend through everything. Call me when you get the news. Love you too."

Brooke let her go and opened the door, waving one last time.

Haley sighed, checking the time on the car radio. Ten Thirty. 

"Shit." She cursed, looking at her cell. She had had it on silent the whole day. She looked at the screen with one eye closed, secretly knowing what was about to happen to her. 

**20 missed alerts  
**

The words shouted at her in Nathan's voice, frustrated and strong. She unlocked her screen to see fifteen missed calls from Nathan and Quinn, five missed texts from Nathan. She read one text, knowing they would probably all be similar.

**Where are you? Why aren't you answering your phone? Quinn can't find you. Call me as soon as you see this.  
**

Just as Haley started typing back, an incoming call came from Nathan. She cautiously clicked the talk button.

"Heeeey." She said sheepishly, holding the phone a centimeter away from her ear, preping herself for incoming yelling. But instead, she was pleasently surprised with a smooth, calm voice. 

_"Oh man." _Nathan breathed. Haley could tell he was probably running his fingers through his hair, the way he always did when he was relieved.

"My phone was on..." 

_"Silent, yeah I figured. I'm not going to yell, because I don't want to stress you out. But can you please, for the love of God, put it on loud from now on?"_ His voice was obviously stressed. So much for staying placid.

"Hey," Haley said defensivly. "I was in the hospital, so it should've not even been on in the first place." Haley reailzed that her initiative attempts were going down the drain.

A switch flipped inside of Nathan, turning on his concerned, protective side. "_You were at the hospital? Why? Are you okay?" _He asked in a hurry.

"Yes yes, I'm fine. I was there for Brooke. She had...stomach issues." Haley explained, putting her car in ignition. 

_"Oh, well, is she okay?"_ Nathan asked, his voice more serene. 

"Yeah, she'll be fine." Haley said, leaving the subject hanging. "Look, I have to drive, so I can't talk. I'll call you tomorrow, okay? I would talk tonight, but I'm honestly really tired, so I'll probably pass out the second I fall on our bed." She chuckled, setting her phone in the crook of her neck. 

_"Yeah, okay. Talk to you tomorrow. Good night, I love you."_

"I love you more. See ya." 

*****At Home  
**

"Oh, hello there! I'm looking for the responsible, always-has-her-phone-on Haley, but I can't seem to find her! Would you like to help me look for her?" 

Haley grumbled, looking up at Quinn who was at the top of the stairs, Jamie by her side. 

"Sorry." Haley sighed, taking off her shoes and walking upstairs.

"Can I go back to sleep now?" Jamie asked tiredly, rubbing his eyes. 

"Yeah sure bud. Sorry that I had to wake you up so we could go look for your mother, who couldn't be contacted." The second sentence was clearly directed towards Haley. Haley rolled her eyes.

"So I leave my phone on silent once! Let that live on forever."

"Maybe I will." Quinn said under her breath before turning around, stalking back into her room. Haley sighed. They would get over it by the morning. 

As soon as Haley entered her room, she immediately took her phone out of her pocket, and turned it on loud. She brushed her teeth, washed her face, got her pj's on, and right when she was settling down to fall asleep, her phone rang, shrill and echoing. Haley grabbed it and answered it, not wanting Quinn to get mad at her for waking her up, even though she was indeed following the strict orders of having it on loud.

"Hello?" Haley whispered, moving to the corner furthest from the door. She didn't even look at the called ID, so she couldn't anticipate the conversation.

"I just got the results." Brooke said, her voice a deadpan. Haley's heart beat a little faster. 

"And...?" 

**Okay, I'm just going to leave it at that, haha. I thought it was about time I included some good quality Baley!  
Chapter 13 will be out soon :)  
Still gotta think of something to do for that chapter... maybe I'll skip forward to Christmas? Hmm. Idk.**

Thanks for reading! :)

Oh! Also, could you guys possibly think of some name suggestions for what Nathan and Haley should name their kid? I want girl _**and**_** guy names! (because I still don't know what I'm gonna make it, aha.) I kind of have an idea of what I want to name it for both sex's, but it's nice to hear opinions. :)**

Last thing! I wrote a little Naley oneshot songfic called "Mary's Song (Oh My My My)" to the song "Mary's Song (Oh My My My) by one of my favorite artists, Taylor Swift. It's a really great song, and yeah, just letting you guys know, incase you knew the song and wanted to check it out. :)

My first exam is this week! eeek. :/


	15. Christmas

**Disclaimer: I don't own OTH, Elf, Silent Night, etc.**

Summary: _**There were faint snowflakes drifting slowly down from the clouds. It was an overcast day - but everything seemed so perfect covered in a blanket of snow. Like the snow could hide all the imperfections in the world, and just stay there, presenting everything as strikingly beautiful, even though infact, it wasn't.  
**_  
"One hundred and fifty-nine, one hundred and sixty."

Nathan dropped on the cushy bench with a pound, his biceps relaxing slowly. His grimace faded, his hands moving to his face to wipe the sweat droplets that had appeared around the fifty mark. His coach slapped him on the back.

"Good job, Nate. Okay, give me one hundred lunges, and then your training is done; you can pack up with Clay and go home for the holidays. Merry Christmas." Nathan's coach smiled, helping Nathan up off the bench. 

Nathan sighed, running his hands through his damp hair. "Thanks, Coach. You too."

Once his coach had left to watch another one of Nathan's teammates pump iron, Nathan quickly jogged to his bag in the pile of everyone else's bags on the bench of the gym, and called Haley.

_"Hello?"_ She answered, her voice groggy. Nathan looked at the digital clock on the ginormous scoreboard infront of him. Oh, it was only seven am. For Nathan, it felt like forever since he had come to the gym at five thirty that morning along with the rest of his team, for their last winter training session before the holidays. It was now Christmas Eve, and Nathan felt terrible that he was missing half of the special day and was just dying to go home to relax, unwind, and be with his family. 

"Hey. Merry Christmas Eve." Nathan said quietly, watching his coach, making sure he didn't catch him on the phone. He practically heard Haley's smile through the line. 

_"Merry Christmas Eve to you too. Has it really been twenty three days since I last saw you? It feels like yesterday... but at the same time it feels so long ago..." _Haley commented, dazed and confused. Nathan chuckled. Haley never failed to make him laugh in their morning phone calls with her unusual annotations, due to still being half asleep, or "weird senses of vertigo dominating my brain in the morning. Probably because of the pregnancy."

"It feels long ago to me. Is Jamie up?"

Haley shook her head, even though Nathan couldn't see her. _"Nah. Won't be up for another hour or two. I don't understand how he gets up at six am for school, yet can barely stumble down the stairs at ten am on weekends or holidays. It baffles me."_

Nathan smiled, his coach's head turning in his direction. "Shit, Coach is going to see me on the phone. Tell Jamie I say merry Christmas Eve. See you in about six hours. Love you." Nathan hung up before Haley had a chance to answer. He chucked his phone back in his bag, and pulled out a water bottle instead, looking aimlessly around the room as his coach walked towards him, an eyebrow perked.

"Were you just talking on the phone?" He asked, his voice stern. Nathan met his austere eyes for a split second, before they moved down to his water bottle, ripping off a piece of the paper that covered one third of it. 

"Uh..."

His coach broke out into a smile. "Relax, Nate. It's Christmas, I have a wife and a family, I get it."

Nathan sighed, mirroring his coach's smile. His coach's eyes turned serious again, but not in an astringent way, more in a let's-get-down-to-business way.

"So, I have some exciting news for you..." he started, Nathan's eyebrows raising. 

"The team and I have decided to make you the captain of the Charlotte Bobcats!" He exclaimed, his eyes widening. Nathan stared at him for a minute, still not processing it. 

"What?" 

Nathan's coach shook his shoulders. "We want to make _you_ the captain. Whaddya think?" 

"Why me?" Was all Nathan could stutter out, confused. There were at least twenty more experienced guys on his team that deserved the title of "Captain", more than he did.

"Nathan, you're too modest. Everyone on the team loves you and your family, you're a helluva player, you don't hog the ball, you're in your second season and you're already better than three quarters of the people on the court, you're a genuinley nice guy, and a great leader. Put all those together, and you get a captain. Which you are, officially." His coach pulled out a little flimsy "C" made from black matierial and held it up proudly, as if he was presenting a medal. "Your wife can sew that onto your jersey this break."

Nathan stared incredulously at his coach, before grinning widely. "Wow, thanks Coach!"

"No, thank _you_. You make my job a whoooole lot easier. Now, lunges!" He chuckled, pointing to the gym floor. Nathan nodded eagerly, setting his "C" carefully in his bag, zipping it up securely.

*****After Training, On The Way Back To Tree Hill  
**

"Dude, this is _awesome_." Clay expressed, checking out Nathan's captain logo as if it was a piece of fragile gold. "I think I just fell in love with fabric in a shape of a letter."

Nathan laughed, rolling his eyes. "I still can't believe they picked me. Jamie and Hales are going to freak when they hear."

Clay stared at him. "You haven't told them yet?" 

Nathan shook his head, keeping his eyes on the road. "I thought this should be something I should say in person." 

"True." Clay sighed, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a jewlery box, and opened it up to Nathan. Nathan turned his head for a split second, chuckled, and returned to the road.

"Shockingly, diamonds aren't my type, man."

Clay scoffed. "It's for Quinn, do you think she'll like it?"

Nathan slowed the car down to a stop at the red light and adjusted his position in his seat.

"Lemme see."

Clay carefully handed Nathan the fragile tennis bracelet. "Don't break it." He said cautiously, eyeing Nathan as he inspected the bracelet. Nathan's eyes widened as it shimmered in the sunlight.

"It's awesome. She'll love it."

Clay grinned nervously, clearly uneasy about his gift. "You think? Because she's not really the classy type, but I thought that since she didn't really have anything...elegant like this, that she might want it. But then again, last night I was thinking that since she didn't have anything like this, it was because she didn't _want_ something expensive and shiny - like this. But then again, if you really love someone, it's the thought that counts, right? So she should love it even if she hates it. But what if she actually does hate it? And then she sells it on ebay, and then it's gone? And then she uses the money she sold it for to buy something that she actually _likes _and will wear?Oh my God she's going to hate it."

Nathan laughed and shook his head. "She'll love it, I promise. Haley and Quinn are like, the same person, and Haley loves that stuff." 

"So...?" Clay said, fidgeting anxiously.

"So that means that Quinn will love it too, you'll see."

Clay exhaled shakily. "Okay, I need distractions. What did you get Haley and Jamie?"

Nathan couldn't help but smile at their names. "Well, Haley insisted that I don't get her anything - you know Haley - but of course, I did. I got her some new pots and pans since she broke most of them when Taylor and David were over..." 

Clay chuckled, reminiscing. 

"...new diamond earrings, a snuggie..." 

"A snuggie?" Clay interuppted, raising an eyebrow. Nathan smiled, content. 

"Yep. A snuggie. She said she wanted one a while back, and damn those things are comfy. There were tester ones at the store, I slipped in one and was immediately engulfed by a sea of comfort. Lady at the store's words, not mine. And there's more, but I don't want to give _everything _away. For Jamie, Hales and I got him a video camera, since he said he was interested in directing. Haley bought him some new clothes, some new toys, you know, the basics for a seven year old." 

"A video camera? That's sick." Clay said, watching as they turned into Tree Hill, winding around the familiar streets.

"Yeah, I hope he likes it."

Nathan kept his eyes on the road, a small smile curling up at the corner of his lips as he drove through the streets of his hometown. There were faint snowflakes drifting slowly down from the clouds. It was an overcast day - but everything seemed so perfect covered in a blanket of snow. Like the snow could hide all the imperfections in the world, and just stay there, presenting everything as strikingly beautiful, even though infact, it wasn't. Tree Hill wasn't used to all this snow for winter, let alone Christmas, so Nathan and Clay were fascinated by the delicacy and comeliness that little flakes of white could bring. They had seen snow in Utah, but nothing was like seeing your neighbourhood nestled comfortably in the snow, the Christmas lights twinkling brightly, lightening up the road.

Nathan pulled up to his house only to find Haley and Jamie making snow angels in the front lawn. They were both dressed head to toe in snow pants and all, Nathan's heart soaring when he saw a large toothy grin appear on both Haley and Jamie's face as they laughed at whatever Haley had said. When they saw the car drive up, their heads perked up from the snow that had been acting as a barricade.

"Dad!" Jamie exclaimed, hobbling over to Nathan as he opened the car door. Haley had dressed him as if there was a blizzard outside - two pairs of mittens, a hat that had strings that met and were tied tightly at the bottom of his chin, a wool scarf wrapped securely around his neck, a puffy red jacket, and a billowy pair of snowpants to match, making it extremely difficult for Jamie to manipulate his way around. 

"Jame!" Nathan smiled as he caught his son in his arms, the snow immediately melting on his jacket. He felt like he was holding a pillow, not his son. 

"Wow. Did your mother ever wrap you up. Can you breathe?" Nathan chuckled, setting Jamie down. Jamie stuck out his tounge and started panting.

"I feel like a sauna. But it's good because if I fall, I don't feel anything!" Jamie reasoned, running back into the snow, launching himself into it to demonstrate. 

"See!" He called out, his cheeks rosy from the chilly air, "I'm perfectly fine!"

Nathan laughed as Haley emerged from the lawn, her eyes twinkling as she saw Nathan staring at her lovingly. She walked slowly over to him, taking the collar of his jacet in a fist in both her hands.

"Hi." She said simply before Nathan connected their lips and a lengthy, warm kiss. He wrapped his ams around her waist, pulling her closer to him - if that was even possible. A couple seconds later, Haley pulled away.

"Hi," she repeated, resting her head on Nathan's chest so she could hear his heartbeat. She loved doing that, hearing whether it was slow and content, staccoto and excited, or just regular. It was racing this time.

"Hey." He said, his face flushed. "I missed you."

Haley closed her eyes against Nathan's chest, breathing in his scent. "I missed you, too. Brooke and Julian are going to be here in about an hour, since it's already six o'clock."

"Alright, so I guess that means I should detach myself from you and go get ready." Nathan said reluctantly, starting to pull away. But Haley kept her hold on him for a couple seconds more, kissing him tenderly.

"Yes, go get ready." She breathed as she pulled away. Nathan winked at her as he grabbed his suitcases and backed into the house.

*****Getting Ready**

"Can you do this button up for me, please?"

Nathan walked over to his wife, who was standing at their mirror, her hands in a feeble attempt to try to reach the buttons on the back of her dress. It was a soft blue coloured dress, accentuating her curves. She hadn't started showing yet, which she was thankful for, because when she did, they would have to come clean to Jamie. And Haley wasn't sure how he was going to react. 

"Where'd you get this dress?" He asked, kissing the crook of Haley's neck after he did it up.

"Clothes Over Bros." Haley chuckled, turning to face Nathan, her eyes expectant.

"What?" He asked, wrapping his arms around Haley's waist, pulling her into a hug. "Oh I missed you," he mumbled, his words muffled by her hair. Haley smiled in his shoulder, pulling back. 

"When are we going to tell Jamie?"

Nathan clicked his tounge, deliberating. "This week? I'm home the whole week, and I don't want to have you have to do it alone..."

Haley nodded.

"...so this week?"

"Yeah." Haley smiled, going up on her tip toes to kiss Nathan's cheek. He blushed slightly before thinking of what had happened that morning.

"Hales...guess what." He said, moving over to his jacket where he stashed his "C" after Clay had looked at it in the car. He put it in his hands, hiding them behind his back. He walked slowly up to Haley. "Close your eyes and put a hand out." 

Haley did as instructed, a confused look on her face. A grin tugged at Nathan's lips as he placed the "C" in her hands. Haley felt the new weight in her hands, and opened her eyes. 

"What is this?"

Nathan laughed at his wife's naiveness. "You don't know?"

Haley shook her head, inspecting the letter.

"Remember how I told you that my coach was going to pick captains and assistant captains sometime soon...?" Nathan trailed off, leaving Haley with that hint. Haley's brow furrowed as she processed Nathan's words.

"Oh...OH MY GOD!" She shrieked as realization hit her smack in the face. "YOU'RE CAPTAIN! OH MY GOD!"

Nathan smiled and nodded as Haley leaped into his arms, pulling him into a bone-crushing hug. "I'm so proud of you!" She said, wrapping her legs around his waist.

"Thanks, I was totally surprised by it." 

"I'm not!" Haley smiled, clearly on cloud nine. She rested her forehead against Nathan's for a second before taking his lips in hers, kissing him with a certain passion. Nathan's hands roamed Haley's back, holding her tightly so she wouldn't fall. Soon, oxygen became a factor, so Nathan pulled away, a goofy grin on his face. 

"Wow," Haley breathed as Nathan set her back on the ground. Her hands went to her stomach, the corner of her eye crinkling with her smile. Nathan's eyes widened. 

"Can you feel anything?" He asked incredulously. Haley shook her head. 

"No, this is just a reflex reaction to anything exciting. Jamie's going to flip when you tell him. He's dreamed about this for you for so long." Haley said as she opened the door to exit their bedroom. Nathan followed her down the stairs, nodding his head.

"Yeah, I know. I think I'll tell him tomorrow."

"Good idea." Haley replied, her nose suddenly being filled with the warm aroma of turkey. She followed the scent into the kitchen to find Quinn slicing the turkey Haley had picked up for her her earlier that morning, Clay tossing a salad. 

"That smells delicious, Quinney." Haley said, taking a slice of turkey and popping it into her mouth. 

"Thanks." Quinn smiled as she kept slicing. "I'm not much of a cook, but I've gotta give it to myself. This tastes awesome."

"I love her modesty," Clay joked as he added some cut up tomatos into the salad. All of a sudden, the door bell rang.

"I'll get it!" Haley said, rushing to the front door. She pulled it open to reveal Julian and Brooke. Brooke was beaming. 

"How are you?" Haley breathed before Brooke attacked her with a hug. When she pulled back, her eyes were dancing with happiness.

"Me and baby are great!" She smiled, her voice having the same enthusiasm as it had when she had first told her the test was positive.

*****Flashback  
**

_"And..." Haley trailed off, her eyes widening with anticipation. She heard Brooke intake a breath, and Julians faint voice in the backround saying "tell her!"_

"Yeah, Brooke, tell me!"

"It's positive!" Brooke shrieked. Haley let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh thank God. Don't scare me like that, Brooke! If I was with you right now I'd slap you! And then hug you, oh my GOD you're pegnant!"

"I know! And now our kids can play together, and Jamie can look after them. I hope it's not a boy, or else I would have to change my company name. Oh well, I'll love it whatever it is!"  


_"What does Julian think?" Haley asked quietly, knowing a grumpy Quinn plus a tired Jamie would equal one sorry Haley.  
_

_"He's really happy. We're both really happy. This is just amazing!"  
_

_Haley bit her lip. "Can I tell Nate?"  
_

_"Yeah sure! I'm going to go tell Victoria now. Thanks a lot, Hales. Love you!" Enthusiasm bubbled throughout her voice.  
_

_"Alright, this is so exciting! Okay, bye!"_

*****End Of Flashback  
**

"Great!" Haley smiled, taking Brooke and Julian's coats, dusting off the snow flakes that had started to melt into tiny water droplets. "Man, it's really coming down out there. I don't think Tree Hill has ever gotten this much snow. Jamie's loving it."

"It's like Utah all over again." Julian inquired, stepping out of his boots. Brooke smiled up at Julian, fond memories of Utah flooding back into her head. 

"How are _you_, Hales?" Brooke asked, her eyebrows crimping with concern. Haley smiled, opening her mouth to answer, before someone came up behind her, wapped their arms around her slightly swollen stomach, and answered for her. 

"She's doing great." Nathan grinned, resting his chin on the top of Haley's head. Haley smirked up at Nathan.

"Yup. Went to the doctor two days ago, and everything is going good."

"How far along are you, Brooke?" Nathan asked, releasing his hold on Haley.

"Just a little over one month." 

"One month what?" Jamie asked, sauntering into the entrance, a big Santa hat on his head. Haley's head snapped up at Nathan, who was watching Brooke and Julian carefully.

"Uh...uhh.." Brooke stammered, trying to figure out logical reasoning in her head. Julian came to the rescue, his answer sounding natural and easy. 

"One month until my movie comes out on DVD! You going to buy it, Jame?" Julian laughed, stepping forward to ruffle Jamie's hat. 

"I don't know..." Jamie said, gauging Nathan and Haley's expressions. "It depends if my parents will let me..."

"Oh let's get through Christmas." Haley said, ushering everyone into the kitchen area where Clay and Quinn were setting food on the table. 

"Hey!" Quinn said as they walked in, pulling out chairs for Brooke and Julian. Jamie sprinted to a chair, starting to dig in as soon as Quinn set his plate down.

And so the rest of the evening remained in high spirits. After dinner, Haley confessed her lifelong dream of Christmas caroling. Everyone was relucant to go, but since Nathan never deprived Haley of anything, he agreed, but not without a cringe and a grimace as Haley placed plastic reindeer antlers on everyone's heads. 

"Aw, don't we all look cute?" She exlcaimed, stepping back to examine her work. Julian, Brooke, Nathan, Jamie, Quinn, and Clay were all in a line infront of her, each of them with desperate expressions on their faces. "Oh come on, have some Christmas spirit. So, I'm thinking we sing 'Silent Night'. I mean, that's just a classic. Everyone know the words?"

No response. Their eyes just bore into Haley.

"Ohhhkay. Not a pleased group I see..."

"Let's get this over with." Nathan grumled, breaking the line up, taking Haley's hand in his and opening the front door. The group made it to three doors before either getting attacked because Nathan Scott and Haley James Scott were standing right infront of them, or getting the door slammed in their faces due to the dull monotone brought to them by Nathan, Julian and Clay. Even Haley's angelic voice couldn't overpower the three men. The group slumped back dejectedly to the house, but not without noticing the magic in the air that you could only feel on Christmas Eve. The stars seemed to twinkle brighter, the snowflakes seeming to fall more gracefully. The smell of chimeny smoke filled the air, red, blue, green, white, heck even pink Christmas lights brightening up the street. The air nipped at their skin, so they picked up the pace until they made it safely back to the house.

"This sucked. My dream of Christmas caroling was not fufilled." Haley complained as everyone piled back into the Scott household, ripping off their unconfortable antlers. Haley watched sadly as they chucked them in the garbage. "I really thought the antlers would win them over..." 

Nathan's eyes landed on Haley's disappointed expression. They really had sucked out all of her Christmas cheer. He pulled her into a tight hug, kissing her hair. 

"I'm sure everyone who we sang to loved it." He mumbled to her, pulling her back to stare truly into her eyes.

"Even the person who slammed their door in our faces?" She chuckled sadly. Brooke came up to her, rubbing her shoulder. 

"Atleast _you _sounded good. Julian, Nathan, and Clay on the other hand..." Brooke started, glaring at the three men. Julian put his hands up in defense.

"Hey. I tried my best." 

Jamie looked expectantly up at Brooke. "Did I sound good, Aunt Brooke?"

Brooke ruffled Jamie's hair, dented and messy from his antlers. "Of course, Jame."

"The best way to spread Christmas cheer, is singing loud for all to hear... oh wait, I guess not us." Haley whispered glumly, Jamie's head's snapping up at the quote from his favorite Christmas movie, "Elf". 

"Can we watch 'Elf'? Can we can we can we?" Jamie exclaimed, jumping up and down.

Haley laughed as Quinn placed her hand on Jamie's shoulder. 

"Yes, go ahead."

So Jamie put in "Elf", which got a lot of chuckles from everyone, curing Haley of her joyless feelings. It even got a few tears from Brooke.

"It's just so sad when Buddy leaves!" Brooke reasoned, wiping away the few tears that had managed to trickle down her cheek. Everybody laughed in unison, convivial feelings of Christmas cheer floating through the room. Julian leaned down to kiss Brooke's cheek, comforting her. Nathan massaged Haley's stomach from their spot on one of the couches, Clay and Quinn in eachother's arms. Jamie sat cross-legged on the floor, completely infatuated in the movie.

"Shh!" He whispered, turning around and glaring at Brooke.

After the movie ended, (a happy ending thankfully, for Brooke) Haley checked the time. Nine thirty at night.

"Hey Jame." Haley said tiredly from Nathan's arms. Jamie peered up at her from the floor. "Santa's not going to come if you stay up any later..."

Jamie's eyes turned from serenity to horror. "You're right! I'll get to bed right now! Goodnight, everybody!" Jamie waved quickly before rushing out of the room, pounding up the stairs.

"What a cute kid." Brooke said, shaking her head as she got up from the couch as well, pulling Julian up wiht her. "You look dead tired, Hales. And to be honest, I am too. We should probably go home." 

Haley squinted through her eyelids that suddenly felt a hundred pounds. "Alright, I'm getting up..." 

She attempted to leave Nathan's arms, but couldn't deny the warmth they radiated. "...okay nevermind." She giggled slowly, an extensive yawn escaping her lips. Nathan chortled, picking Haley up, throwing her over his shoulder, fire fighter style. 

"Ahh!" Haley gasped quietly, hitting Nathan's back that was now in her face.

"Merry Christmas, guys." Nathan said as Brooke and Julian smiled and left. 

"Wait! Merry Christmas!" Haley yelped, her words muffled, sounding more like, "waii! Murry Chrishmas!" 

Brooke snorted. "Merry Christmas to you guys, too. Thanks for the dinner and movie, it was great!"

Julian opened the front door for Brooke, "yeah, thank you for everything. You guys do too much. Merry Christmas!"

Once the door closed, Nathan put down Haley. 

"That was not cool, Scott. Santa will not be pleased with you." Haley shook her ead fictitiously, smiling as she slipped down the hall, letting out a loud yawn. Quinn, Clay, and Nathan chuckled in Haley's direction, watching her dissapear up the stairs. 

"Hey, Nate, Quinn and I can put the presents under the tree and wrap whatever you need to be wrapped. You guys are clearly tired and deserve the rest."

Nathan smiled at Clay's goodness. "Are you sure? Because I can let Haley sleep and do it."

Clay shook his head profusely. "No, you woke up at like five am. You need the sleep. Jamie will probably be waking you guys up fairly early tomorrow, anyways." 

Nathan smiled, his eyes falling up towards his room where Haley was. All he wanted to do was to be with her right now. "Alright, thanks man. See you in the morning."

"Oh em gee, Santa Claus is coming to town!" Clay flung his arms around, making his voice high-pitched. Nathan chuckled and slapped him on the back, giving Quinn a helpess simper as he climbed the stairs up to his bedroom. When he opened the door, he saw Haley sprawled across their bed, pyjamas and all. He walked over to her and lay on the bed beside her, putting his face extra close to hers. 

"We have to go put the presents under the tree..." Haley said, her eyes unsuccesfully trying to stay open. 

"Clay and Quinn offered to do it. Our job is to go to sleep. Which I think we both need right now, so let's go. Get up, James, and get under the covers. You don't have the whole bed to yourself anymore."

"Ugh." Haley mumbled, slowly getting up and getting under the blankets. Nathan stripped down to his boxers, brushed his teeth and his face, and joined Haley in bed. 

Haley smiled, pleased at Nathan's warmth beside her. She snuggled closer into his chest, her finger tracing the line of his six pack. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and nuzzled his nose into her hair. He noticed Haley open her drowsy eyes just to point up to the ceiling. Nathan followed her gaze, his eyes landing on a misletoe that she had placed delicately on a little hook coming from the ceiling. 

"Hmm, what's that all about?" He whispered huskily to Haley. Haley smiled cheekily up at Nathan who was already leaning down to connect his and Haley's soft lips in a precious kiss.

"Merry Christmas, Haley James Scott." Nathan said as they parted. 

"Merry Christmas." Haley repeated, her eyes finally closing, falling into a deep slumber almost instantly. Nathan closed his eyes as well, letting the feeling of being with Haley sink in. 

It was already a great Christmas, and it hadn't even begun yet.

**May I first start off with..  
100 reviews! Thank you guys SO much. This really means a lot to me that people are actually reading and liking this story :) really, thank you guys so so so much1**

Also, exams are done, and it's offically summer! Which means that I'll have more time to update this. :) Exams went well, but man am I glad it's summer.

Finally, it feels quite odd writing about Christmas in the summer, but it's alll gooooood. I love Christmas, so I'm happy that I get to live in the Christmas spirit for a couple hours :)  


**Thanks for reading!**


	16. Presents

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything mentioned in this story.  
**

**Summary:_Quinn covered her mouth as she realized what had just slipped out. Haley's jaw dropped, her eyes widening at her sister. Nathan grumbled, rubbing his hands over his face. Clay grimaced. Jamie sat in complete confusion, his camera recording everything. _**  
_**  
**_

"Tis you, dear snuggie, that twas the missing hole in my life."

Nathan grinned as Haley tried on her bright blue snuggie she had just opened a couple minutes earlier. When she first saw the amount of presents under the tree that were adressed to her, she shook her head disappointedly at Nathan.

"We said we weren't going to get eachother a lot of things." She had said. Nathan smiled helpessly, flashing his one million dollar smile.

"Sorry."

And so the magical morning commenced, Jamie shrieking at every present he opened. He had woken up Nathan and Haley at eight o'clock that morning - much later than either of them had expected - and kicked the morning off with opening up his video camera first. Nathan and Haley wanted to hide it and give it to him last, but since Clay and Quinn put the presents under the tree the previous night, they unknowingly put the video camera right smack dab infront of everything, attracting Jamie's eye to it first. Now, Jamie was walking around the house, introducing his camera, to which he named "Pablo", to his home.

"They are the most comfortable things in the world, I promise." Nathan said, watching Haley as she drowed in a sea of blue snuggie. He had gotten her a large size so she would have breathing room.

"This is... heaven." Haley sighed, content. Nathan leaned forward from his cross-legged position on the floor, grabbed a box three times the size of Haley's head, and handed it to her. She pursed her lips and shook her head, reluctantly taking the box from him.

"You spoil me, Scott."

"You actually need these, James."

Haley kept her eyes on Nathan as she tore open the Christmas themed wrapping paper, revealing a whole set of pots and pans, varying in sizes from Kitchenaid. Haley laughed a hearty laugh as she inspected the shiny new kitchen materials.

"You're right, I did actually need these. Thank you." Haley smiled leaning over to kiss Nathan's cheek quickly before grabbing a box and handing it to him.

"Hales...you should't have. Really."

Haley shook her head. "Nope, if you're not letting me feel guilty about my presents, I'm not letting you feel guilty about yours."

"...and these are my parents! Momma, dad, say hi to Pablo!" Jamie said, his eyes on the little pop out screen on the camera. Nathan and Haley smiled and waved at the camera as Quinn and Clay came stumbling down the stairs. Jamie heard their footsteps and took off to the stairs, shoving Pablo in their faces.

"Merry Christmas, Uncle Clay and Aunt Quinn! Say hi to Pablo!"

Quinn rubbed her exhausted eyes, Clay letting out a lengthy yawn. "Who's Pablo?" Quinn asked as she eyed Jamie's new camera.

"The camera! Now say hi, or else his feelings will get hurt."

"Hi, Pablo." Clay and Quinn recited in a tired monotone, padding together into the living room, where Haley and Nathan were giggling at the present Nathan had just opened. Jamie was right behind Quinn and Clay, documenting every moment.

"Merry Christmas," Quinn said tiredly, automatically making her way to the coffee Haley had prepared earlier that morning. She filled her cup all the way to the top, taking a big gulp of it.

"Merry Christmas, guys." Clay said, Nathan and Haley smiling at him as Nathan held up a pair of mens underwear Haley gave him.

"Underwear, really Hales? You know I'm a boxer type of guy." Nathan chortled, examaning the tighty-whiteys.

"How would she know that?" Quinn joked, coming over to join the rest of the family.

"...laundry..." Nathan trailed off, flushing a deep pink. Quinn leaned down and picked up a present, plopping it in the middle of Nathan and Haley.

"It's for both of you, from Clay and I." She smiled, as Haley picked up the large, thin, rectangular shaped present.

"You wanna open it?" She asked, offering it to Nathan. He shook his head.

"Nah, you do it."

Clay sat beside Jamie on the couch, making goofy faces into Pablo's lense. He even breathed hot air onto it to make it foggy.

"Hey! Watch it, Uncle Clay. Santa can't bring me another one of these!" Jamie laughed, wiping away the fog on his lense.

"How did Santa treat 'ya?" Clay asked as Jamie closed Pablo for the first time that morning.

"Good! I got a whole bunch of new transformers, Pablo, some new clothes; like this sweater I'm wearing! Like it?" Jamie tugged on the bottom of his red hoodie from the Gap, as if Clay would get a better look at it that way.

"I do like it. Very fashionab-" Clay was cut off by a high pitched shriek.

"Aww!" Haley gushed as she teared the last of the wrapping paper off her and Nathan's present. She angled it towards Nathan who broke out into a smile when he got a glimpse of it.

"This is really nice, guys. Did you take all these pictures, Quinn? I don't remember taking almost any of these."

Plastered on a large, rectangular piece of glass, were pictures of Nathan and Haley, Nathan and Jamie, Haley and Jamie, Nathan, Haley, and Jamie, just Nathan, just Haley, just Jamie, etcetera. Each one was taken at a unique angle, only skilled photographers having the eye to be able to take such breathtaking pictures. Most of them were candid, Nathan and Haley sitting on their couch together laughing, Haley tickling Jamie, Nathan making three-pointers. The only picture that Haley recognized was the one that Quinn had taken of her and Nathan at Clay's party for Nathan's basketball team. It was a simple black and white picture, Nathan and Haley kissing, the waves from the waters frozen behind them. Nathan had a pleased and somewhat smug expression on his face, while Haley had a wretched look on her face, her eyebrows crinkled as if she was about to burst out into tears.

"Remind me to make better faces when I'm kissing you next time..." Haley commented, her eyes trailing over the rest of the collage. When she was finished looking at it, she watched Nathan, his eyes lighting up as he analyzed pictures of his family. When he saw the beach picture, he cringed.

"It looks like I'm hurting you." He pointed out, pulling Haley to his side as she frowned.

"Hey, I thought it was a good picture. It shows the passion Haley has, and the...cockiness you have, Nathan?" Quinn laughed, causing giggles from Jamie and Clay.

"Hey, I was kissing my wife, I was happy."

"A little _too_ happy." Clay added, winking at Nathan as he rolled his eyes. Haley sighed.

"Well, this is beautiful guys. Thank you so much." She turned to Nathan. "We can hang this up in the hallway between our room and Jamie's."

Nathan nodded.

"You probably think I'm a stalker for having all these pictures of you guys, but I also started another one. But I only did half of it because I'll take some more of the new baby and add those, and then that can be hung up beside your old collage, and it can be the collage of your guys' new fam... oh my God."

Quinn covered her mouth as she realized what had just slipped out. Haley's jaw dropped, her eyes widening at her sister. Nathan grumbled, rubbing his hands over his face. Clay grimaced. Jamie sat in complete confusion, his camera recording everything.

"What?" He asked innocently. "A new baby? I'm not a baby anymore, Aunt Quinn."

Quinn's eyes watered, looking as if she was almost about to cry, or be sick. "I'm _so_ sorry, Hales." She whispered, the feeling of guiltiness coming on strong. Haley smiled slightly at her sister. It's not like she meant to spoil it for Jamie.

"It's okay. Can we talk to Jamie alone, please?" She asked politely. Quinn and Clay nodded, Quinn getting off the couch shakily. Clay put his hand on the small of her back for support. Haley got up and plopped herself beside Jamie on the couch, Nathan going on the other side. She watched her impeccant son for a couple seconds, his brow furrowed in mystification. Nathan watched Haley cautiously as she opened her mouth to start explaining themselves. It was time for the truth.

"Jamie, how would you feel if you had a brother or sister?" Haley asked tentatively, fiddling with her fingers, awaiting Jamie's response. She had worried about this moment for almost three months now, toying with ideas of how Jamie was going to react. Was he going to be upset that he wouldn't get all the attention? Would he be ecstatic to have someone to play with? It was the moment of truth for Haley, her heart racing as she watched Jamie's expression.

"Wait? Am I going to be a big brother?" He asked, his voice completely calm. Nathan and Haley exhanged a look before Haley's eyes returned to Jamie.

"Yes."

At first, it was Haley's worst nightmare. Jamie's eyes widened in horror. He leaped off the couch, so he could face both of his parents fully. His expression was heartbreaking, his lips turned down in a displeasing frown.

"Is it because you're getting tired of me?" He asked quietly, watching the floor. Haley's mouth opened, letting out a gasp. A dumb founded expression crossed Nathan's face. He pulled Jamie into his lap, soothing his son.

"Of course not, Jame. We love you very much. And now, you're going to have a brother or a sister! Someone who you can play with when you get bored, someone who you can teach how to shoot free throws to, someone who you can look out for. You're going to be your brother or sister's role model, Jamie. Just like Skills is yours. Can you be happy about that?" Nathan asked, Haley sliding over so she could pat Jamie's back. Jamie looked at his parents suspiciously, the terror and sadness gone. He then broke out into a smile and wrapped his small arms around both his parent's heads.

"I'm going to be a big brother!" He exclaimed, pulling back to show off his toothy grin. Haley let a few tears of relief slip out as Jamie hopped off his parents and picked up Pablo, turning him on and facing him towards himself.

"Guess what! I'm going to be a big brother! And you knnow what the best part about it is..." Jamie trailed off, skipping out of the living room, talking to Pablo.

Nathan wrapped his arm around Haley, who let out a big breath.

"Oh thank goodness." She breathed, leaning down into Nathan's chest.

"He took that rather well." Nathan laughed, hearing a faint _click_ as he kissed Haley's forehead. At first, he saw the camera lense poke out around the corner of the wall across from them, and then saw Quinn and Clay walk back around the corner, Quinn reviewing her new picture on her camera.

"She took the saying 'take a picture, it will last longer' a little too seriously as a child." Clay snickered as Quinn elbowed him in the ribs.

"Haley, you don't look in pain in this one, and Nathan you don't look conceited. You both look at peace." She said, showing Nathan and Haley the picture. It was true, they both looked like they were in complete serenity. "Again, I'm really sorry for spilling the secret."

Haley smiled, getting up and pulling her sister into a hug. "It's okay. We were going to tell him soon, anyways..."

While Haley and Quinn were chatting, Clay pulled out Quinn's necklace wrapped neatly in a box, from his pocket. Nathan grabbed Haley's diamond earrings from under the tree. Clay looked like he was about to throw up from nerves, so Nathan gave him a reassuring nod before interupping

the girls.

"Hey guys. We have presents for you." Nathan said. Haley stopped talking and turned to face Nathan, crossing her arms accusingly.

"This better be the last one."

Nathan smiled and handed Haley a small box, wrapped perfectly in red wrapping paper. Its shape reminded Haley of the box Nathan gave her her necklace in. She softly touched the gold pendant that hung around her neck, tracing the outline of the heart before carefully ripping off the paper. She was right, the jewlery box was almost exactly the same one as the one she got her necklace in. She popped it opened and gasped.

"Wow."

Two diamond earrings shone in the light coming in through the windows. They weren't big and flashy, but they weren't small and simple. They were perfect. In the middle, and beautiful.

"Do you like them?" Nathan asked, smiling easily. Clay admired his confidence. Haley hadn't answered Nathan yet, and if Quinn did that to Clay, he would probably be in tears by now.

"Ye...yes." She whispered, breathing in shakily. She closed the box and set it down on the coffee table, stepping forward to enclose Nathan in her embrace.

"Thank you for an amazing Christmas." She mumbled, Nathan smoothing her hair.

"You too. I'm so glad to be home. And guess what. Christmas is technically just starting." He whispered, kissing Haley's cheek gently before pulling away. Clay and Quinn were standing awkwardly beside them, waiting until they were ready to watch Quinn open her present.

"Oh," Haley realized as they pulled away. "Sorry. Go ahead." She smiled, leanining into Nathan's chest, his arms snaking around her torso. Nathan's eyes widened at Clay, waiting for him to hand Quinn her present.

"Here," Clay said, coughing and wiping his sweaty palm as Quinn took the box. Her eyes were hopeful, excited to see what Clay got her. And the second she opened it, Clay did the one thing Nathan prayed he wouldn't.

"You hate it." He spat out, visible droplets of sweat appearing on his forehead. Haley glanced up at Nathan who shook his head disappointedly.

"Nerves got to him." Nathan whispered, watching Quinn's reaction. She studied the bracelet before looking up at Clay, a smile on her face.

"This is a tennis bracelet..."

Clay squeezed his eyes shut, slapping his forehead. "Ugh. I knew you wouldn't like it. I know, it's totally not you, and I'm really sorry. I was never nervous with Sarah because I knew how to shop for her. But you... you mistify me. Not in a bad way though, in a good-"

"Clay! I love it. It probably cost a fortune, which I am angry at you for, but it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life." Quinn breathed, slipping it onto her wrist. Haley felt Nathan relax slightly, giving Clay a thumbs up when he flashed a smile in his direction.

"We'll leave you two alone..." Nathan said, letting go of Haley as they walked away.

"I have more presents for you." Haley pointed out as they made their way upstairs. Nathan grinned.

"You mean I get something more than underwear? Yay!"

Haley rolled her eyes. "One day, when you're on the road and all your boxers are dirty due to lack of a washing machine, you will be thanking me."

"Okay, okay."

The couple walked past Jamie's bedroom, to find him sitting on his bed, re-watching the videos he had taken so far. Haley walked into his room and sat on his bed beside him, Nathan following in after.

"Hey, bud. So you're really okay with having a new sister or brother?" Haley asked, her eyes serious. Jamie looked at her with his big blue eyes, nodding reassuringly.

"Yeah, momma. I'm going to have someone to play with at all times, it's going to be _awesome_."

Haley smiled. "Yeah, it is. Now, we also have some other news for you..."

"We do?" Nathan asked, taking a seat beside Haley. Haley mouthed the word "captain" silently. "Oooh. Yes, we do, Jame."

"What is it?" He asked, his attention back on Pablo.

"Well..." Nathan started, not knowing how to go about telling Jamie that he was captain of the Bobcats. So he decided to be blunt and straight to the point.

"I'm captain of the Bobcats."

Jamie's head snapped up, his eyes staring at the ground infront of him. "What?" he asked, not knowing if he heard correctly.

"Jame, your dad's the captain of the Charlotte Bobcats!" Haley exclaimed, Jamie being affirmed that he had heard Nathan correctly. His jaw dropped open, his eyes expanding and expanding.

"Yay, dad!" He said, leaping into Nathan's arms. "I knew you could do it!"

Nathan laughed. "I wasn't even trying to do it. I never knew I was even being considered to be captain. But thanks, bud! Love you."

"Love you too. Oh man, I gotta go tell Chuck!" Jamie hopped of Nathan's lap and grabbed the phone in his room, dialing Chuck's number. Nathan and Haley let their son be. Once they left Jamie's room, Haley felt something.

"Oooh. Put your hands on my stomach." She said quickly, motioning Nathan to move towards her. He plastered his large hands over her stomach, kneeling down to belly-level.

"Whoa," he breathed. "I can't get over how amazing kicking is." He pushed Haley's shirt up slightly and kissed her stomach, sending tingles throughout her body.

"You know what you should do this week?" He mumbled, getting up onto his feet. Haley smiled at him and shook her head.

"Your 'Flying Machine' music video."

"Hmm. And why this week, you say?"

Nathan grinned, rubbing Haley's hips seductively, whispereing in her ear. "Because I'll get to be there, and then creepy directors won't be hitting on you."

"Well, I don't think you have to worry about that."

"And why not?"

Haley bit her lip, holding back a smile. "Well, according to Brooke, Julian's been pretty bored lately, so I asked him if he would direct the video. And he agreed. He said that a music video would be a new challenge he hasn't faced before."

Nathan broke out into a smile. "Well, I trust Julian, so I approve. When are you going to shoot it?"

Haley shrugged her shoulders. "Somewhere in the near future. I don't want to be dancing around in a tight dress when I start showing. So perhaps you'll get your wish of it being this week.

"And you don't have to worry about creepy directors hitting on me..." Haley cringed. "...but you may have to worry about costars. Julian already hired a guy around our age to play my 'love interest'."

"Your 'love interest'? Why can't I play him?"

Haley laughed, her hands tracing Nathan's biceps. "Well, to tell you the truth babe, you kind of suck at acting."

Nathan gasped. "Wow. As a kid I always wondered what it would like to beTom Cruise. It was a dream of mine. And you just crushed it."

"Stop lying. As a kid you wanted to be in the NBA or a fire fighter. You can't fool me, Scott."

"Okay, whatever. But is this guy going to be all up on you?"

"Nah. Maybe a little touching, but it's no big."

Nathan's eyes widened.

"Hey," Haley said, wiggling her index finger in Nathan's face. "I didn't get jealous when you had to do all those 'Rainstorm Bodyspray' commercials with a slut wearing next to nothing."

Nathan contemplated this for a moment. "You're right. How did you not get jealous? I get envious all the time. It's like I'm a walking talking green eyed monster."

Haley smiled simply before walking away. "Jealousy is ugly."

Nathan stood there, dumbfounded for a moment. Then realization hit him. "Wait, did you just call me ugly?"

*****Later That Day  
**

"Momma, dad! You guys are liars!"

Jamie came rocketing into the living room where Nathan and Haley were situated, picking up used wrapping paper and tossing it in a large green garbage bag that sat inbetween them. They were almost done cleaning up everything from that morning, and were looking forward to having a relaxing Christmas dinner with their immediate family.

"What do you mean?" Haley said, studying the sudden franticness in Jamie's eyes.

"Chuck told me that Santa's not real!" He shouted, tears welling up in his eyes. Haley sighed, looking at Nathan. He had a sympathetic look plastered on his face. Seven years old was too young to spoil the Santa secret.

"And you believed him?" Haley asked as Jamie went and sat in her lap. He nodded sadly.

"Jame. There is a Santa. If there wasn't, who was the one who ate the cookies you left out by the chimney last night? The one who gave you all those awesome presents?"

Jamie sighed. "That's what I thought. But Chuck sounded so sure..."

"Well, he's wrong. As long as you believe he's real, he's real. I believe in him. Your father believes in him. Uncle Clay and Aunt Quinn believe in him. So you should too, okay?" Haley said, pulling Jamie close to her. Nathan smiled. Haley never ceased to amaze him with her parenting skills.

Jamie nodded understandingly. "Okay."

Just as Haley opened her mouth to speak again, the phone rang.

"I've got it." Nathan said as he picked up the phone that was convenitently palced right beside him.

"Hello?"

_"..."_

"Oh, hey Luke! Hold on, I'm going to put you on speaker." Nathan said, clicking the speaker button and putting the phone in the middle of him, Haley, and Jamie.

_"Hey, guys. Merry Christmas!" _Lucas said cheerfully. Haley sighed when she heard his voice. She missed her best friend.

"Hey, Luke. Merry Christmas to you, Peyton, and Sawyer too." She said, kneeling over the phone.

_"Is Jamie there?"_"Yup!" Jamie responded quickly. "Hi, Uncle Lucas! Did Santa come to your house last night?"

_"He sure did! I saw him with my own eyes!"_Jamie's jaw dropped open when he heard this news.

"_Here's Sawyer, she wants to talk to you." _Lucas handed the phone to his daughter, who was decked out in a little red and green dress with white stockings to match. _"Hi Jamie."_ She said softly.

"Hi Sawyer! Merry Christmas."

_"Merry Christmas."_ She repeated, her two year old vocabulary being limited.

"Tell your mommy we say hi, Sawyer." Haley said.

_"Okay."_ She replied before handing the phone back to Lucas.

_"Peyton's on her cell phone talking to Brooke about her and Julian's engagement. In other words, she won't be off the phone for another hour. How are you guys doing? We miss you a lot."_

"We're good." Nathan said, giving Haley a look of, should-we-tell-him-you're-pregnant-over-the-phone? Haley nodded, picking up the phone so she could hold it close to her voice.

"Actually Luke, we have some news," Haley started, biting her lip. "I'm pregnant."

_"Hales!"_ Luke exclaimed, his voice coloured with happiness. _"That's amazing! God, I really wish I was with you guys right now. But, wow. That's just awesome. Guy or girl?"  
_  
"Not sure yet." Haley smiled as Nathan squeezed her free hand.

"I'm going to be a big brother, Uncle Lucas! Just like you!" Jamie said, leaning closer to the phone. Lucas laughed.

_"Yup! Just like me." _He paused for a minute, hearing sudden shrieking coming from Peyton in the other room. He poked his head in the room to see Peyton jumping up and down, her phone clutched close to her ear. _"Alright, Peyton's freaking out about something. I'd better go ask what's up. I'll talk to you all later. Love you guys."_

"Alright, see you, man. Hey, don't be a stranger." Nathan replied.

Lucas smiled._ "Promise I won't. Bye."_Haley clicked the "end" button, and put the phone back on the table.

"Well that was nice." She sighed, picking up the garbage bag, tying the fly aways together to close it. She hitched it over her shoulder and marched out the room, heading to the garage where she would toss the garbage bag into. Once Nathan heard the door click shut, he turned to Jamie.

"Hey Jimmy Jam, can we talk quickly?"

Jamie looked up at his father. "Yeah, sure."  
_  
_Nathan sighed, folding his hands on his lap. "Well, you know that your mother's pregnant now. And pregnant women need big, strong, reliable men to help take care of them. Like you. So if you're mom is getting a little cranky, or is asking you to do a favour for her, you have to promise me that you'll be there for her, okay? You know, take care of her while I'm gone. She's going to need you to be the man of the house."

Jamie nodded. "I _am _a man, dad. Look at my muscles!" He flexed, showing off the little muscle he had accumulated from the basketball he had played. Nathan laughed, patting Jamie's head as he pushed himself off the ground. Haley came back inside rubbing her back, a pained expression on her face.

"You okay?" Nathan asked, manuvering to Haley's back, replacing her hands with his.

"Yeah," Haley grimaced. "I used to have back pain with Jamie, but not this bad. Or this early. It just feels sore."

Jamie walked up to Haley. "Want me to get you some ice, momma?"

Nathan gave him a thumbs up. He was already showing ambition. His seven year old son was maturing faster than he did as a child.

Haley smiled softly. "Yeah, sure. Thanks Jame." She trudged slowly to the couches, sinking into their cushy material. Nathan took a seat beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. Jamie returned with the ice.

"Thank you, Jamie." She said as Nathan placed the ice by her lower back. Haley's first instinct was to jump away at the nip of the bitterness, but she slowly relaxed into the ice, embracing it. She closed her eyes pleasantly. "Ah, this feels good." Nathan kissed her temple gently, his lips lingering. "So does that." Haley mumbled, chuckling. She opened her eyes to see a sea of blue infront of her, Nathan's warm eyes dominating her vision. "I have another present for you." She pointed out. Nathan's eyebrows perked up.

"Oh really, now?" He joked, getting up and walking to the tree. There was one lonely present left. A small square box. He picked it up and returned to his place on the couch beside Haley.

"By the way, no money was spent on this present. So you have no need to feel guilty."

"Oh I probably will." Nathan replied, tearing off the wrapping paper. A jewlery box was revealed once the paper was off. Nathan eyed te box suspiciously before clicking it open. Inside was a chain made out of pure gold. It looked like it had been worn in quite a bit. Nathan's eyes widened for a second before his vision caught Haley, who was biting her lip nervously.

"It was my dad's." Haley explained. "He used to wear it all the time. He said it was his good luck charm because my mom gave it to him. So when he died, I snatched it."

"Whoa." Nathan breathed, picking up the gold chain. "This is amazing."

"You don't have to wear it if you don't like-"

"No, no. I love it. Thank you, Hales. Can you put it on me?" He asked, shifting on the couch so his back was facing Haley. She fastened the chain around his neck, patting his back when her work was done.

"I love you." Nathan said when he was facing her again. Haley broke out into a smile.

"I love you too." She replied, just as the phone started ringing. Nathan leaned over to pick it up.

"Hello?"

_"Hello, Nathan. It's Dr. Rivers. Is Haley with you?"_

"Yeah, she's here." Nathan said, handing the phone to Haley. She raised an eyebrow as she took the phone, so Nathan mouthed "Dr. Rivers".

"Hey, Dr. Rivers. Merry Christmas! What are you doing working on a holiday like today?"

Dr. Rivers chortled. _"Merry Christmas to you, too. And I'm not actually working. Your family physician, Dr. Seeling, mailed me the pictures of your latest ultra sound."_

"Yeah..." Haley trailed off, waiting for Dr. Rivers' point.

_"And...well, we found something...different in the picture."  
_

**Alrighty. There's chapter 14.  
****Thanks for reading! (:**


	17. Author's Note Number Two

**Hey Guys!**  
**So, I'm going to start working on Chapter 15 tonight... FYI.**  
**But I just wanted to say that I saw Eclipse last night... omg.**  
**It was AMAZING. And this is coming from someone who's not the biggest Twilight fan out there.**  
**If you were having any doubts of seeing it... yeah, go see it.**  
**I'm totally and Edward fan, btw. I do not like Jacob whatsoever.**  
**(Yes, I know that Eclipse has nothing to do with Naley, but whatever, I had to get that out of my system.)**

**Alsoooo. I have a formspring! If you guys want to ask me questions or anything, ask there.**

**BUT for some reason, this won't let me put the link in. urghhh. So if you type in the formspring adress into your searchbox thing, and then put /carrieandmarcus **  
**THAT is my formspring. **

**But be careful. I share it with my twin, so if you want to ask _me _a question, adress it to Carrie, not Marcus haha.**

**Alrighty, that's all. :)**


	18. Writer's Block

**Ugh.  
So I feel really bad for not having a new chapter out sooner...  
but I am seriously suffering from writer's block.  
Like I have ideas, I just don't know how to word them properly... and make it long enough, make the dialouge good...the usual stuff that runs through my brain when I'm writing this story.  
So I'm going to force myself to write some more tonight... and we'll see how that turns out.  
Usually if I'm feeling really inspired or driven I'll write a lot in one night... but I haven't felt that drive in almost a week now. I need to go back and watch a bunch of Naley scenes to get myself motivated again. **

**I am REALLY sorry. I'm trying my best...lol. **


	19. Hang On

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.  
**

**Summary: **_**She knew she was being silly and absurd for crying like this, but the sudden wash of sadness couldn't be controlled.**_**  
**

_From your Flying Machine...  
_

"And... CUT!"

"Can I talk now?" Jamie whispered to Nathan. Nathan nodded. 

"YAY MOMMA!" Their son exploded, sprinting to Haley as soon as she stepped off one of the many stages in her now complete music video. 

Nathan shook his head, muttering to himself, "talk, pft. More like scream."

"Thanks little man!" Haley smiled, closing Jamie in her arms. She peered up at Nathan, that same sparkle in her eye that she got everytime she performed somewhere. Nathan loved it. Jamie let go of Haley, running towards Julian, who was rewatching some footage. 

"Julian, your camera's are ten thousand times better than Pablo!" He said wondrously, inspecting every aspect of Julian's massive cameras. He then whipped his head in the direction of his parents. "Momma, dad, could I get a camera like this?" His eyes were too hopeful. 

Nathan shrugged, snaking his arms around Haley's waist. "Wouldn't that hurt Pablo's feelings?" 

Jamie took in a sharp breath, deliberating. "Yeah, you're right," he decided, letting a woosh of air out. Nathan chuckled, turning his attention back to Haley.

"You were amazing, babe."

She smiled, leaning her head against Nathan's chest. "Thanks. I'm kind of sad it's over. It was fun."

"It looked fun. Except your love interest..." Nathan trailed off, seeming to have difficulty trying to find the right words, "...was having a little bit _too_ much fun."

Haley swatted Nathan's chest. "Be quiet, John was doing his job. Besides, he's gone now."

"Yeah, he'd better be gone."

Haley sighed thoughtfully. "Alright, I should go change out of this dress, it's a rental." 

Nathan pulled Haley away at arms length, getting a good look at her. "Hmm. I can buy it for you, if you want."

Haley laughed heartily. "Nate, I already have too many dresses at home. I don't need to add this to the collection. But thank you for offering." She pecked him quickly before skipping off to the dressing room. Nathan turned to Julian, who was explaining complex details to Jamie about his equiptment.

"That's a wrap, eh?" Nathan said, slapping Julian on the back, interuppting his conversation with Jamie. Julian smiled widely. 

"Yeah. She was great."

"Hey, don't get any ideas," Nathan warned jokingly. Julian chortled. 

"I'm not, I'm not. So Jamie here really seems to be interested in the whole directing thing, huh." 

"Yeah." Nathan said, patting Jamie's head. "I think he'd be really good at it, too."

Jamie smiled. "You really think so, daddy?" 

"I know so. Come on bud. Let's let Julian edit, it's late," he squeezed Jamie's shoulders, "way past _someone's_ bedtime."

Jamie tapped his chin while strolling away. "I wonder who that is..."

Nathan chuckled, turning to Julian. "Thanks for doing this for Haley, man."

Julian smiled as he turned back to his camera. "No problem. When do you go back to Charlotte?" 

"Well after today, I have two full days left." 

"And how's Haley taking the news? She seemed to be fine today."

Nathan raised an eyebrow at Julian. 

"Brooke told me about what Dr. Rivers called about on Christmas. Is it okay that I know?"

"Oh, yeah, sure. And uh, she's taking it better than I am, which is a good sign I guess."

Julian nodded solemly. "A good sign indeed."

"You ready Nathan?" Haley called, making her way out the studio doors. Nathan nodded. 

"Seeya," he said, turning his back on Julian. 

"Goodluck," Julian replied. 

*****The Next Day  
**

"Well, at first I went into shock. I mean, how do you miss something like that?" 

"I know right. Alright I've got to go, my very nosy husband is up against the door trying to listen to our conversatoin. 

Nathan's eyes widened as he jumped away from the door as if it had suddenly been infested by wasps. How had Haley known he was there?

"Okay, talk to you later? Tell Luke and Sawyer I say hi. Alright, bye." 

He heard the slight _thump_ of Haley setting the phone down on the bed, followed by shuffling towards the door. Nathan scrambled to his feet and launched himself around the corner, leaving himself hidden. 

"Nathan?" Haley called, her eyebrows furrowing when she saw no one outside the door. Nathan casually turned the corner. "Oh, hey," she breathed, automatically wrapping her arms around Nathan's waist. He immediately noticed the worry lines carved deep into her face. 

"What are you thinking about?" He asked, his fingers smoothing the lines on Haley's forehead. She exhaled loudly. 

"I was just connecting the pieces together. The throwing up so early in the pregnancy, the kicking..." Tears started forming in her chocolate brown eyes before she could finish. Nathan pulled her tighter into his chest, kissing her hair. 

"Shh. It's going to be okay," he soothed. 

She sniffled. "I know, I'm just...overreacting." 

Nathan shook his head. "No, you're being completely reasonable."

Haley laughed bitterly, peering up at Nathan through her watery eyes. A warm emotion bubbled through her, reaching the top of her head, the tip of her toes. If her love for Nathan wasn't so strong, and if she didn't know that he felt the exact same way about her, she would have never been able to go through with this while he wasn't home. 

"So we're really having twins?" She squeaked, burying her head in the crook of Nathan's shoulder. Nathan's body shook with relieved laughter.

"Well, that's what Dr. Rivers said. So I can confidentally tell you, yes, we are having twins." He smiled proudly, pulling Haley's head up towards his to capture her lips in a sweet kiss. When they retreated, Haley opened her mouth for another question. It only took one word for Nathan to understand. 

"Jamie...?"

Nathan shrugged. "I think we should let the shock of being a big brother to one sibling sink in a little bit more. He found out only three days ago."

"True," Haley reasoned, unwravelling her arms from Nathan's torso.

"So when's your next doctor appointment again?" He asked, his hand moving to the back of his neck.

"The day after you leave," Haley answered glumly.

"Call me as soon as it's done. I want to hear everything." He waited until Haley met his eyes, so she knew he was serious. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. 

"Yeah, I will."

Nathan took a step forward, kissing Haley's forehead tenderly. "Good. I'm going to head off to the Rivercourt to get some practice in. You want to come?"

Haley deliberated for a moment. "Yeah, sure. I haven't been there in a while, actually. It deserves a visit. You change and I'll go get Jamie."

A small smile lit up Nathan's face. "Alright."

*****At The Rivercourt  
**

"He shoots, he scores!"

"Yay, Nathan!"

Nathan retrieved his basketball and went over to Haley and Jamie, who were situated in the ancient benches, cheering Nathan on as he practiced his three pointers. Haley stood up abruptly, holding out her hands.

"Gimme the ball. I want to try." 

Nathan handed the ball to Haley, putting one foot on one of the benches so he could lean closer to Jamie. He kept his eyes on Haley as she dribbled the ball loosely, almost losing control as she moved to the three point line.

"I tried to teach her how to shoot a basket at this very court when we were in highschool," Nathan explained to Jamie, a crooked grin appearing on his face as he reminisced the old memories. "She barely passed her free throw test."

Jamie also kept his eyes on his mother, who flung the ball into the air, it missing the basket by a mile. "I understand," he chuckled as Haley ran quickly to grab the ball, a small blush colouring her face. Nathan sauntered back to the court, clapping his hands together so Haley would give him the ball.

"Lemme show you how to pros do it," he winked, bending his knees bouncily, lining up his elbows at a ninety degree angle. His wrists were relaxed as he launched the ball into the air, making a perfect _swoosh_ sound as it fell through the hoop. 

"Nothing but net!" Jamie exclaimed from the sidelines. Haley stood motionless beside Nathan.

"No fair," she pouted, snatching the ball out of Nathan's hands. 

"I can teach you," he whispered seductively in her ear, his hands wrapping around her waist. She flushed an even greater shade of pink.

"Uh, our seven year old son is no more than ten feet away from us..." she trailed off, Nathan jumping away from her. Her eyebrows crinkled as she chuckled at her adorable husband, trying to imitate his actions that he did last time. She bent her elbows at ninety degrees, squatted her knees, and made her wrists loose. But when she shot the ball, it once again flew through the air, landing with a loud _thump_ on the grass beside the hoop. Haley's shoulders slumped as she walked over to the ball. 

"Momma, it's a good thing you can sing," Jamie said matter-of-factly. Haley let out a thoughtful sigh. 

"Well, I was never really aiming to be a professional basketball player like your father here. And hey, in my defense, he's a _terrible_ singer."

"I was never aiming to be a professional singer," Nathan retorted, winking at Haley. Haley huffed.

"_Whatever_, dude. Okay Jimmy Jam, let's see what you've got!" Haley tossed the ball to Jamie, who left the stands to join his parents on the court. He dribbled the ball with a certain concentration, twirling it in his hands before he tossed it effortlessly into the net, bouncing off the backboard first. He smiled as Nathan caught his ball. 

"Wow, Jame, good job!" Nathan said, chest passing the ball to Jamie. He dribbled it through his legs easily, as if it was as simple and mindless as walking or breathing. Haley was astonished. She knew her son was good at basketball, but she didn't know he was _this_ skilled. Just as she was about to compliment him, Brooke's car came speeding onto the grass beside the court. She meandered onto the pavement, three delicate white envelopes in her hands. 

"Guess what I haaaaave!" she enthused, dancing toward her favorite family. She dealt out the envelopes to Nathan, Haley, and Jamie, their name written on the top of their envelope. Jamie ripped his open, reading it aloud.

"You are cordially invited to Brooke and Julian's wedding on March Fourteenth. Sweet, Aunt Brooke!"

Haley and Nathan looked over the invitation, smiling at the picture of Brooke and Julian on the back of the invite. They were ecstatic that their good friend finally found someone for herself. 

"We're definitely coming, thanks for the invitation, Brooke," Haley smiled, enclosing Brooke into a tight hug. 

"I also have a question for you, Hales," Brooke said hesitantly, biting her lip.

"Shoot."

Brooke took a deep breath, closing her eyes. "Do you want to be my maid of honour?" 

Haley gasped, her eyes suddenly dancing with happiness. Nathan broke out into a wide grin. Jamie was already bored with the conversation, not knowing what a maid of honour did, and started shooting hoops again.

"Yes, of course! Ah, this is going to be so much fun! Getting your dress, the hall, the food, ah! Or maybe you'll make your own dress! Do you want an outdoor or indoor wedding? For an outdoor wedding, I reccommend..." 

Nathan strolled away, knowing it was evident that he wouldn't be able to get a word in for the rest of the conversation. The girls bounced over to the bleachers, already intently discussing plans for the big day. 

He made it over to Jamie, who was now sitting cross legged on the court, making designs on the cold pavement with his index finger. 

"What's up, bud?" Nathan asked, sitting down beside his son. Jamie peered up at him, his expression somber.

"Am I ever going to see Uncle Lucas again, dad?"

"Sure, bud. Why?" 

Jamie shook his head. "No, I mean are him, Aunt Peyton, and Sawyer ever going to move back to Tree Hill?" His eyes were the epitome of sadness.

Nathan sighed. "I don't know, Jame. I think they've started their lives somewhere else." 

Jamie's voice dropped to a low, barely audible whisper. "Is it because of me?"

"Oh Jamie," Nathan sighed again, pulling his son into his lap. "No, of course not. Why would you think that?"

"I don't know, I just have this feeling. Like when Skills left..."

"Jamie, Skills left because of a job opportunity, you know that. And Lucas and Peyton don't not live in Tree Hill because of you. I promise."

"Okay, I guess I wish I just saw them more often."

Nathan smiled slightly at his son. "I know how you feel. I miss them a lot too." 

"Alright! I don't know about you guys, but I am chilly! Let's go home, I can make some hot chocolate and cookies," Haley said, walking over to her family as Brooke hopped into her car and drove away. The two boys never noticed them end their conversation.

The mention of food seemed to cure Jamie of his sadness for Lucas and Peyton. "Hot chocolate? Cookies? Yay!" He jumped out of Nathan's lap and booked it to the Range Rover. Haley lingered back, waiting for Nathan so they could walk hand in hand back to the car. He bent over and kissed her cheek softly before they got in the car and headed home.

"Can we drive by Uncle Lucas' house, dad?" Jamie asked innocently as they drove down the road, no trace of remorse in his voice, more curiosity.

"Sure."

So the trio cruised down the old street, slowing down as they neared the familiar yellowish house. Haley sighed dolefully when she saw a "Sold" sign sticking through the frosty turf.

"Whenever I see his house go up for sale, I'm always hoping that him and Peyton will move back into it," she commented. Nathan nodded solemly. 

"Me too." 

"Alright, let's go home," Haley exhaled loudly, looking over her shoulder as the house disappeared behind her.

*****Later That Night  
**

"Sorry Hales, I'm writing tonight so I need to concentrate. I'll call you tomorrow, okay? Love you."

_Beeeeep.  
_

"You know what the worst sound is?" Haley said as Nathan climbed into bed with her. She tossed the phone to the foot of the bed as Nathan deliberated.

"Uh, no?" 

Haley slouched into the pillows. "The dial tone," she huffed. "I tried to call Lucas to see if him, Peyton, and Sawyer wanted to come up for a visit since it's Christmas break, and he quickly told me that he was writing tonight, and then hung up."

"I'm sure it wasn't personal," Nathan replied, kissing Haley's forehead while wrapping his arm around her shoulder. She leaned into his bare chest, sniffing loudly.

"Rainstorm Body Spray?" She chuckled, keeping her head against his heart. She felt him shake with a soft laughter.

"Yup, only the best." 

The couple lay in content silence for a moment, the rise and fall of their chests being the only movement. Haley broke the stillness by shifting in Nathan's arms so she was facing him.

"What?" He asked, stroking her face. She smiled at his touch, almost forgetting what she had to say.

"I think we should start brainstorming names," she bit a smile, peering up at Nathan.

"Yeah, good idea. If one's a guy and one's a girl, their middle names have to be Jimmy and Lydia."

Haley froze for a fraction of a second at the sound of her deceased parent's names, but quickly recovered. "Yeah, good idea."

"And for a girl... I've always liked the name Emma, or maybe Trinity."

"Ooh, Trinity's different. But a good different. How about Sarah? I've always loved that name, it's so simple but elegant at the same time."

Nathan nodded his head, his grip tightening around Haley. "Yeah, Sarah's a great name for a little girl. For a boy, I've always liked-"

"Ethan," They said at the same time. Nathan grinned down at Haley, who mirrored his angelic smile.

"You've told me you like the name Ethan before. And I love it, too," Haley explained. 

"Hmm. I see. What else do you like for a boy?"

Haley racked her brain. "I like Anthony, or maybe Andrew. Or Cameron? What about Kyle? Ah, there's so many! It's hard to decide." 

"Don't worry about it. We've got months and months to figure it out. Right now though, you and the babies need to _sleep_." Nathan said, stressing the last word. Haley yawned loudly at the thought of sleep, and leaned over to turn off their light.

"You're right," she said, settling down into the pillows. "Goodnight, I love you."

"I love you too. Sweet dreams." He kissed her nose softly before the two of them fell into a peaceful slumber.

*****The Next Morning**

"Hales! Come here!" Nathan shouted from his spot at the computer. He was going through emails when he got a new one from Julian.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." She said, winding down the stairs into the computer room. She took a seat beside him and read the computer screen. "Wow! He edited the video fast! Open it! No, wait," she swivled in her chair, "Jamie! Come to the computer!"

Jamie came running into the room, a sandwich in his hands. "Yeah, momma?" 

"Julian edited my video. You could be doing this when you're older. Alright, press play."

Nathan couldn't help but beam as he watched the music video. Jamie cheered at some parts. Haley blushed when Nathan leaned over and kissed her cheek as the video faded out. 

"Wow, Julian's amazing," she breathed, immediately grabbing the house phone. 

"I think _you_ were amazing in it." Nathan differed, replaying the video.

"Yeah, momma. I think you and Julian did a really really good job." Jamie said, his mouth full of food.

"Swallow," Haley warned as she got up from the chair and dialed Brooke and Julian's home number. Brooke picked up on the first ring. 

_"Hello?"_

"Hey, Brooke. It's Haley. Is Julian home?"

_"Oh, no. You just missed him. He went to the grocery store since baby and Brooke are craving chocolate icecream." _

Haley chuckled. "Alright, well can you tell him that I called to thank him for doing such a great job on the music video?" 

_"Yeah, sure! I saw it this morning, you were awesome in it, Hales. I wish I could've been there to see it being made. I bet Nathan was jealous of that guy that was touching your shoulder and hips..."  
_

Chargin rushed through Haley's veins. "Yeah, he was. But you know Nathan, he was over it in a minute." She heard an obnoxious beep through her phone. She pulled it away from her ear to see a waiting call. 

"Brooke, I'm going to have to let you go, I have an incoming call."

_"Alright. See you later!"  
_

Haley clicked the "talk" button and pressed the phone back to her ear. "Hello?" 

_"Hey, Hales. Sorry about last night, I was at the most dramatic of my story, and I just couldn't stop."  
_

Haley smiled at Lucas' voice. "That's okay." 

_"So what were you calling about?"  
_

Haley bit her lip. "Are you, Peyton, and Sawyer busy this week? Nathan's leaving tomorrow to go back to Charlotte, but maybe you guys could come up here for a visit...?

She heard Lucas sigh on the other end. _"God, I'm so sorry, Hales. But I have so many meetings about this new novel I'm writing, and Peyton has a lot of artists to go through. Maybe we could throw Sawyer in a package and mail her up there,"_ He chuckled. Haley smiled, she missed her best friend's humour. 

"Okay, I understand." 

_"I really wish we could come. I miss you guys so much. So does Peyton and Sawyer. Maybe at Easter?"  
_

Easter. Easter was months away. A wave of tribulation washed over Haley. She swallowed the sudden large lump in her throat, and cleared her voice of any trace of dismal. "Yeah, great idea. See you then. I've gotta go...Jamie's...calling me. Bye."

She clicked the "end" button feverishley before tears started rolling down her cheeks. Her breath hitched in her throat. She didn't like this. Barely seeing Lucas and Peyton. She missed them too much for her own good. She knew she was being silly and absurd for crying like this, but the sudden wash of sadness couldn't be controlled. She needed to sit down by herself and have a good, long cry. So she exited quietly out the back door and went deep into the backyard, sitting quietly in the lush but cold grass. And she wept. Wept for not being with Nathan the whole year, wept for barely seeing Lucas or Peyton, wept for her dead parents. And then, just as abruptly as the tears came, they stopped. She stood up clumsily, and patted her jeans that had become damp due to the precipitation trapped in the soil. She was fine again. Everything was fine. She walked back into the house with her head held high, and her face wiped so no tear tracks could be identified. She marched over to Nathan and wrapped her arms around him silently, stopping any questions he was about to ask. She just needed to be with him and Jamie. She had lost so much in the past couple years, and was feeling now as if she was losing her best friend. She needed to hold dearly onto to the things she had a grasp on in her life, and just hang on. 

**Wow, where do I start?  
I guess with a big, fat, I'm sorry!  
I'm sorry that I haven't updated in 873291873821 years, (okay not really, but it's felt that way).  
You guys shouldn't have to wait, but you did, patiently, too. As you can tell from this chapter, it doens't have much substance to it, and it didn't really have a point. I'm still struggling with writer's block, and since it's summer, I thought I would have more time to update this, but it seems that I don't! Weird, right.  
Anyways, I hope you guys can bear with me for a while, I have plans for the next chapter, so maybe I'll be able to write that one better than this one!  
I'm definitely the least proud of this chapter. It's kinda short and it took me like 2 weeks to write. Ugh.  
Anyways, I'm going to stop dwelling. Thanks for reading! (:**


	20. Lacking Lucas

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. In my dreams I do, though.  
**

"No. Way."

Haley's jaw was dropped in disbelief. Nathan broke out into an enormous grin. Tears formed in Jamie's eyes. The three of them were still, statues in their places at the kitchen table. The person infront of them sucked in a breath, his lips pulled up in an exultant expression. He said one word, one word that made the statues come back to life and jump up and rejoice.

"Way."

*****Earlier That Day  
**  
"Mom, what's six times eight?"

Haley cocked an eyebrow at her son who was situated at the kitchen table, his math textbook out infront of him, a pencil in his hand. His other hand was scratching his head in confusion as he stared at the page, trying to figure out a solution.

"Jame, it's Christmas break, bud. Give yourself a rest," Haley chuckled, pouring some water into her cup she had grabbed from the cabinet. Jamie sighed, giving his mother a helpess look.

"Just answer the question, mom."

Haley put her hands up in defense. "Alright, okay. This is how I remember that one. Six times eight is forty eight. Eight and forty eight rhyme, so it's like a poem. Repeat after me. Six times eight is forty eight."

Jamie's eyebrows raised. "I don't really see how that rhymes, but six times eight is forty eight?"

Haley nodded.

"Okay, thanks momma!" Jamie slapped his texbook closed and got up from his chair. Just as he was about to leave the kitchen he piveted quickly, adding one last thought. "Where has Aunt Quinn been lately?"

Haley took a sip of her drink. "She's been staying with Uncle Clay at his beach house. But him and your father are leaving tomorrow so she'll be back by then."

Jamie nodded his head understandingly. "I see. Can I go to Chuck's? His mom said she could drive me there."

Haley clicked her tounge. Ever since Jamie had gotten kidnapped two years ago, she had become a lot more protective over him. "Nah, your father and I can drive you. When do you want to go?"

"Um, now?"

Haley gulped down the rest of her water and put her cup in the dishwasher. "Alright, I'll go get your father, he's in the weight room. Go get whatever you need, like Pablo maybe, and we'll drive you in fifteen minutes? Your father will need to get ready."

Jamie smiled. "Okay, momma."

Haley made her way to the basement, where Nathan was wiping sweat off his perfect face. Haley stopped and hid behind the wall so she could admire him a little bit longer, but he caught the new shadow cast across the floor.

"Are you spying on me, James?"

Haley giggled shyly as she revealed herself around the corner. Nathan gasped humorously.

"Whoa, there you are!" He laughed, taking in Haley's appearance. She wore snug jeans and a grey "Ravens" hoodie, her hair in a curly side ponytail. She had only a tiny swipe of mascara on, and the bags under her eyes weren't obvious, but they were there. Even when she wasn't dressed up, she looked absolutely beautiful. "Come here," Nathan added, opening his arms so Haley could climb in. His ego expected her to accept the invitation immediately. But instead, she raised an eyebrow and pinched her nose with her index finger and her thumb, waving the air infront of her.

"What, I don't smell _that_ bad," Nathan said quickly, ducking his head to sniff his chest. Whew. He did smell pretty nasty.

"Take a shower and then we'll talk. Be ready in fifteen minutes, we're taking Jamie to Chuck's." Haley said as she climbed the stairs.

Nathan sighed, getting up from the bench. "Alright."

*****In The Car**

  
"Bye!" Jamie exlaimed, slamming his door shut and skipping to Chuck's house. Nathan put his hand on the back of Haley's car seat and backed out of the driveway.

"Can we go for a drive?" Haley asked as soon as they were out of the driveway. Nathan made eye contact with Haley and smiled.

"Sure. Where to, Mrs. Scott?"

"How about Main Street? We could go baby clothes shopping before you have to leave," Haley suggested.

"Because I have the greatest fashion sense, right?" Nathan chuckled.

Haley smirked. "Well, I want to do this with you here."

"I feel so special!" Nathan exclaimed as he turned onto Main Street and pulled up to a parking meter.

"Oh be quiet, Scott." Haley blushed as Nathan got out and put some change into the meter. He then opened her door and grabbed her hand, linking his fingers in with hers.

"I'll miss you when I leave tomorrow," he said casually, browsing the windows of the stores they strolled by.

Haley squeezed his hand. "I will, too. So will Jamie. And so will Sarah or Ethan or Andrew or Trinity or Anthony or Emma," Haley chuckled. Nathan's lips pulled up in a grin. Even though he was gone, his mind was going to be on his family all the time.

"So where's the best designer baby store?" He asked, just as they were walking by Clothes Over Bros. Haley stopped abruptly in her tracks, pulling Nathan back with her.

"Baby Brooke!" She exclaimed, climbing the stairs hurriedly. Nathan followed in after her. When she opened the door, Brooke looked up immediately, a hanger with a pretty blue dress in her hands.

"Hey Naley!" She greeted, hanging up the dress with a bunch of other ones. "What brings you here on a fine day like today?"

Haley went directly to the colourful tops - they always attracted her eye first.

"Do you still sell baby clothes, Brooke?" She asked, rumaging through her selection. Nathan stood awkwardly behind Haley.

Brooke sighed sadly. "Unfortunetly, no. We had to get rid of that. But, I'm already making my baby and your babies some new awesome outfits!"

Haley looked up at her. "Really?" she smiled. Brooke nodded.

"Mhhhm. They're not quite done yet, but our kids are going to be the most fashionable children around, you'll see. Also, I have this idea of starting a maternity line. Ever since I got pregnant, I've felt the need to start a line that actually has cute clothes for women who are pregnant. We shouldn't have to suffer and wear sweats twenty four seven once we start to bulge! I'm taking a stand. What do you think?"

Haley chuckled at Brooke's passion. "Great idea, Brooke!" She looked up at Nathan, who had a bored expression on his face. "...well, we'd better get going and scope out some other baby - wear stores. Seeya later." Haley said, taking Nathan's hand back in hers.

"Alright, bye Naley!" Brooke smiled, walking over to the cashier where there was a long line up of people waiting to get checked out. Nathan laughed at their nickname Brooke loved to use.

"Bye."

Haley sighed as they walked out the door. "Well, that just defeated the purpose of coming out here today. I guess we should just go home..."

Nathan shrugged. "Nah, let's go for a walk. Remember last time we took a walk?" He said apprehensively, monitoring Haley's expression. She flinched slightly.

"Yeah, I wasn't me. And I'm sorry about that," Haley said, stopping their walk to stare into Nathan's eyes.

"Hey, don't apologize. You had every right, and _still_ have every right to be upset. I'm proud of you though," he said softly, rubbing Haley's hand with his thumb. "You've come such a long way."

Haley smiled. "It's all because of you and Jamie, you know. I don't know what I would do without you guys."

Nathan wrapped his arms around Haley's back and pulled her into his chest, not caring that they were in the middle of the sidewalk.

"Believe me, who knows where I would be right now without you," he whispered huskily in Haley's ear, pulling back to kiss her forehead sweetly. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Haley whispered, nuzzling her face into his shoulder. "I _guess_ we should continue our walk now."

Nathan sighed, pulling away, but keeping his grip tight on Haley's hand.

"Yeah, I think it's considered impolite to block the sidewalk, especially on Main Street." Nathan said, smiling helpessly at the annoyed people trying to get past him and Haley. They turned and continued their walk silently, just enjoying eachother's presence. Before long, Haley's stomach growled hungrily. Nathan smirked.

"Lunch time for my babies?"

"I already had lunch. Ooh, but you know that great bakery just straight up ahead? Let's go there. I could go for a nice, big, cupcake!" Haley said enthusicastically, getting a laugh out of Nathan.

"Alright, let's do it."

*****At The Bakery **

"Hello, Ma'am and Sir. What would you two like today?" The waitress said while eyeing Nathan flirtatiously. He stared awkwardly at the table while Haley obliviously searched through their desert menu.

"Uhm, I'll just have a water." Nathan said, handing the waitress his menu. Haley tapped her chin in deliberation.

"Can I have the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Cake please?" She asked pleasantly, putting her menu down on the table to reveal an indcredulous looking Nathan.

"What? I have three mouths to feed now, Mr. No Calories Water."

Nathan just smiled and shook his head, giving the waitress Haley's menu.

"Okay. Your water will be out shortly, and so will your piece of cake." She said sweetly, winking at Nathan before she turned and walked away in her too short skirt.

"Wow, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that waitress was hitting on you," Haley said matter of factly.

"It was harmless," Nathan said, rubbing Haley's knee under the table. The corner of her lips pulled up at the feel of his touch.

"I know, I just wonder..."

Nathan's eyebrow cocked. "Wonder what?"

Haley put her hands on the table with a _thump_. "It's just, I don't know. Nevermind."

"Hales..."

Haley sighed heavily. "I'm going to get _huge_. I know we've had this discussion before, but that was when we thought there was only one baby in here," she patted her stomach. "But now there's two, so that means I'm going to be like four times bigger than I was when I was pregnant with Jamie. And then I see girls like the waitress, and I think of you around the world with all these gorgeous, _skinny_ girls. And what do you get to come home to? A fat pregnant woman. It hardly seems fair for you."

Nathan smiled lovingly at Haley.

"Why are you giving me googly eyes like that? I'm going to be fat and hideous," she said glumly.

Nathan just continued to stare at her, a simple smile on his face. Haley looked self conciously at the floor.

"Stop staring at me like that. It's making me uncomfortable."

Nathan took Haley's hand. "Sorry. I was just trying to see if there was any chance that you were joking. But apparently, you're serious."

"I am."

"Haley," Nathan started, his eyes narrowing. "None of those girls even come _close_ to you, okay? I _want_ you to get bigger, it means our babies are healthy. I _want_ to come home to you. I can't believe you don't see that."

Haley sighed, her hand limp in his. "You're just being so sweet throughout this whole process. I'm just waiting for the day that you'll give up on me and my mood swings."

Nathan leaned forward and touched Haley's locket. "Read the locket. Always and forever, babe. You're never going to see the day I leave you, okay?"

Haley smiled, her eyes watering slightly. "Okay."

The waitress walked back over with Nathan's water in one hand, Haley's slice of cake in the other. She set them down and smiled.

"Enjoy."

Haley started digging in the moment the waitress turned her back on them.

"This is really good. Want a piece?" She asked, her chocolate brown eyes hopeful. Nathan couldn't refuse them.

"Sure," he said, opening his mouth, letting Haley feed him. "Mmm, this _is_ good."

"Much better than water," Haley said as she took another bite, then fed Nathan another one. She continued the pattern until the plate was empty.

"Delicious." Haley summed up, getting up from her chair. Nathan followed her out of the bakery.

"Where to now?" He asked, just as Haley's cell phone rang loudly. She checked the caller ID before picking up. It was Chuck's mom.

"Hello?"

_"Haley! Oh my God. Get over here and get your bad influence of a son out of my house!"_

Haley's eyebrow's raised. Chuck's mom was known for being a little psycho. She couldn't believe everything she said.

"What?"

_"Your son made my son watch PORN!" _She spat out.

Haley gasped.

_"Come get Jamie right now." _She continued threateningly.

"Yes, okay, we're coming. Bye." Haley clicked the end button and whipped her head up in Nathan's direction, her eyes narrowed.

"James Lucas Scott is about to get in so much trouble." She growled, stalking off towards the car. Nathan grabbed her wrist before she could get too far, his eyes alarmed. He'd never heard Haley used Jamie's name and the word "trouble" in the same sentence before.

"Hales, what's wrong?"

Haley ripped her arm out from Nathan's grasp and continued marching towards the car, determination in her steps. Nathan caught up with her and tried again.

"Haley!"

Haley piveted fiercley around and glared at Nathan. "He's exactly like you!" She exclaimed, her voice furious.

"Haley, I don't understand..."

"Jamie made Chuck watch porn!" She screeched, people around them giving her weird stares.

Nathan's brow furrowed. "Whoa, wait. Jamie Scott, our son?"

"Yes!"

Nathan took Haley's hand and increased their pace. "Let's go."

*****At Chuck's House  
**

Haley threw herself out the car door and rushed to Chuck's front door, where his mother stood with a worried looking Jamie by her side.

"James Lucas Scott..." Haley started before Chuck's mother cut him off.

"I walk into Chuck's room where they were hanging out in, to give them some snacks. And I come in and see them watching pornographic videography! What type of example is this setting for Chuck, huh?" She looked down at Jamie, "huh, Jamie?"

"I didn't mean to!" He squeaked out before trudging over to his parents shamefully.

"We're really sorry this ever happened," Haley said to Chuck's mom.

"Don't let it happen again." She warned, before slamming the door in thier faces. Haley narrowed her eyes at Jamie before walking sternly to the car. Nathan hung back with Jamie, strolling towards the vehicle.

"Why did you watch it, Jame?" Nathan asked, going easy on Jamie since he knew Haley would obliterate him at home.

"I was curious," he said shyly, not making eye contact.

"About what? You're seven," Nathan spat out, the words harsher than intended.

Jamie sighed. "Can I talk about this with you _and _Mom? I don't want to have to explain twice."

Fine." Nathan said, getting into the drivers seat. He could tell Haley was fuming, so he rubbed her thigh soothingly before starting the engine and driving back home.

*****At Home  
**

"Explain yourself." Haley commanded, her hands gripping her hips so she wouldn't lose it. Nathan stood with his arms crossed over his chest, his gaze on Haley.

"Well... it all started out with me telling Chuck that I was going to be a big brother..."

"Oh no..." Haley interuppted. Jamie looked up at her, so she gestured for him to continue.

"So we went and searched how it happens..."

"Naturally," Haley muttered under her breath.

"...some websites said things about the 'birds and the bees'? We didn't understand that, so we just kept on searching. But we didn't get any of the words the websites were using, like uterus and stuff? So I decided we watch a video. I always understand things better when I see it, instead of when I read it. So then Chuck's mom came in to give us a snack and she saw." Jamie exhaled once he finished explaining. Nathan kept his eyes on Haley, trying to read her expression. It didn't _seem_ angry, but then again, she could've just been hiding it well. She opened her mouth to speak, and Jamie braced himself to the wrath of Haley James Scott.

"You're forgiven."

Nathan's eyes widened and Jamie's head snapped up.

"What?" They exclaimed at the same time, both of them gaping at Haley. She shrugged.

"I thought his story was going to be like yours." She jabbed a finger at Nathan. Jamie's jaw dropped.

"Dad watched that stuff? Ew!"

Nathan closed his eyes, shaking his head. "I was stupid, Jamie. And I hurt your mother by doing it. So please, to avoid future fights with your girlfriends, do _not_ watch that stuff ever again."

"I wasn't planning on it," Jamie shuddered. "It was so gross! Cooties!"

Haley laughed as the doorbell rang. "Cooties is right! I'll go get the door."

Nathan followed behind her out of curiousity. Haley opened the door and schrieked when she saw the person waiting on the other side.

"LUCAS!"

Lucas smiled, his expression mirthful.

"Hales! God, I missed you. C'mere," he said, wrapping his muscular arm around her shoulder. Haley clung to him, breathing in his familiar scent. Tears formed in her eyes and started dripping down slowly.

"Hey, no tears," Lucas said, wiping them away with this thumb. He released Haley and looked up at Nathan and Jamie.

"Hey, man," he said with a smile, slapping his back in a manly hug. Nathan was still in shock, his eyes wide as he returned the hug.

"Wow. Hey," he breathed, letting go of him. "We've missed you a lot."

"Uncle Lucas!" Jamie exclaimed, running into the entrance. He leaped into Lucas's arms, Lucas grunting as he caught him.

"Have you gotten bigger? I thought you inherited your mother's height."

Haley frowned. "Hey."

Jamie wrapped his arms around Lucas' neck and buried his head in his shoulder. "I missed you, Uncle Lucas!"

"I missed you too, my favorite nephew!"

"How long are you here?" Jamie asked excitedly, his blue eyes mirroring Lucas's.

"Well, that's actually why we came here."

"We?" Haley asked, her eyebrow raising.

"Peyton and Sawyer are with Brooke and Julian right now, they're going to come over later tonight though."

Haley nodded. "Oh, okay. Well, come in! Sorry, it's sort of a mess in here."

Lucas whistled as he closed the door behind him and kicked off his shoes. "Are you kidding me? It's spotless in here - _especially _compared to mine and Peyton's house, whew."

Haley, Nathan, and Jamie laughed, leading him through the mansion, into the kitchen.

"You want anything to eat or drink?" Haley asked, opening the fridge to show Lucas his choices. He shook his head.

"Nah, I'm good."

"Did you see that your house is sold again?" Nathan asked, taking a seat at the kitchen table. Lucas sat across from him, and Jamie sat beside Nathan. Haley joined Lucas on his side of the table and added to Nathan's comment.

"Yeah Luke, we were driving yesterday and we saw it was sold. I was disappointed."

Her and Nathan watched Lucas's expression carefully. His hands were glued together, resting under his nose and over his mouth and chin, his contortion contained.

"Earth to Lucas?" Haley asked, flicking his temple.

"Ah," he sighed, moving his hands to rest behind his neck. "Actually, that's why Peyton, Sawyer and I came down here."

Confusion washed over Haley. "I'm not sure I follow you."

"Well," he began, his eyes flickering from Haley to Jamie to Nathan. "You guys know Peyton and I love you all, right?"

The three heads nodded simultaneously.

"And you see, we've felt out of the loop ever since we moved away. Yeah sure, we have the occasional visit and the annual phone call, but we never really felt fully..." he put his hands down on the table loudly, "_there_."

"What are you trying to say?" Haley asked, her mind a dissaray.

"Yeah, Uncle Lucas. Spit it out!" Jamie chimed in.

"Okay, what I'm trying to say is... Peyton and I bought my old house, and we're moving back to Tree Hill," he said, spreading his hands out and moving them to the side of his face, making jazz fingers. "Surprise!"

"No. Way."

Haley's jaw was dropped in disbelief. Nathan broke out into an enormous grin. Tears formed in Jamie's eyes. The three of them were still, statues in their places at the kitchen table. Lucas sucked in a breath, his lips pulled up in an exultant expression. He said one word, one word that made the statues come back to life and jump up and rejoice.

"Way."

"Oh my GOD!" Haley cried, standing up and pulling Lucas with her so she could give him a proper hug. She squeezed him so hard that after a few seconds, he had to shift uncomfortably in her arms.

"Hales, I love you, but you're squishing me."

Haley backed away shyly, chargin rushing through her veins. "Sorry."

"So you're back for good?" Jamie asked, climbing over the table to he could hug Lucas.

"Yes. Sawyer's going to need a friend, you know."

Jamie grinned from ear to ear. "Ooh, I can be her friend! It'll be good practice for when Momma has her baby!"

Nathan, Haley and Lucas exchanged a glance behind Jamie's back. Lucas mouthed, "twins?"

Haley shook her head. This wasn't the right time to tell Jamie that there wasn't one, but _two_ babies living inside of her. He would be too overwhelmed with emotions he would probably burst.

Lucas set Jamie down and maneuvered to Nathan, giving him a high five.

"Glad to have you back, bro. I needed someone I trust to take care of Hales while I'm on the road," Nathan chortled.

"Of Course. Anything for my future niece or nephew," Lucas said, eyeing Haley's stomach for a second.

Haley sighed, content. She felt Nathan's arms snake around her waist, and she leaned back into his chest, a tear of wholeness and bliss slipping down her cheek. She watched Lucas talk with Jamie, keeping her eyes mainly on Lucas. He hadn't changed much - maybe his beard was a little bit scruffier, but that was about it. He still had that guy-next-door charm to him, his boyish features still evident in his face. She heard his familiar shrill laugh echo throughout the house as Jamie told him a funny joke, and remembered his goofy smile, always showing all this teeth. He generated happiness. She witnessed his eyes squinting, and suddenly had flash backs to when they first met on the playground in first grade. She compared that little boy with this mature man, and realized that not much had changed. He was still that smart, funny, lovable guy he'd always been. Another tear slipped down her cheek as she realized that he was home for good now. She was complete again. Her heart had been lacking Lucas for a while, but now she was full of complete delightness. She smiled and turned to kiss Nathan's cheek before walking forward and hugging her best friend once more. He was there permanently now, and in that moment, that was all that mattered.

**Okay so my writers block is basically gone! I'm actually so relieved. I hope you all are okay with me bringing Leyton/Sawyer back *runs and hides*, but I thought it was a good idea, since this is probably the final season, it would be smart to bring back the two main characters for a portion of it. So yeah... haha.  
I think I'm going to really focus on Laley in the next chapter, since IMO we've really been lacking them in the past seasons! Just giving everyone a heads up lol.  
And yes, Peyton/Sawyer will be in the next chapter.**

**Thanks for reading! :)**


	21. Twins

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything that belongs to One Tree Hill.  
**

**Summary: **_**Nathan was instantly struck by the truth and reality behind that statement. They would be there. For good. **_**  
**  
"I can't believe you have to leave tomorrow, I just got here!" Lucas sighed, taking another sip of water. Nathan frowned.

"I know, it sucks." 

Lucas sighed. "Well, Peyton and I have been watching you this season, and I've gotta say man, you're doing amazing. Way better than three quarters of the people out there." 

Nathan laughed. "You may be a little biased..." 

Lucas shook his head. "No, really, I'm telling the truth." 

"Alright, alright." 

Lucas sucked in a breath, exhaling loudly. "So... how's Haley been since Lydia's death? She wouldn't talk to me during it. She _seems_ better than before, but I didn't want to ask... just incase, you know?"

Nathan's gaze trailed to the stairs where Haley was tucking Jamie in for bed. He grimaced, trying to forget the not so distant memories.

"She kind of shut down after Lydia's death. She would barely talk to anyone."

Lucas's eyes widened. "Even you?"

Nathan nodded solemly. "Yeah. It was tough, But it was even harder on Jamie. He didn't understand why she was feeling and acting the way she was. She was even leaving voicemails on Lydia's old phone..." 

Lucas's head snapped up. "Really? That's serious."

"It was heartbreaking to listen to. She was a stone in person, but she poured all her emotions and thoughts out into the voicemails."

Lucas patted Nathan's shoulder. "I'm sorry, man. I also heard about the pool..." 

Nathan shuddered. Seeing Haley's pale, limp, body under the water had sent him over the edge that night. Lucas noticed his sudden guard.

"Again, sorry. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." 

Nathan sighed, shaking his head. "No, it's not that. I was just remembering that night. It was the night Quinn and I listened to the voicemails. I came home, looking for her. She wasn't in the house, so I went out to the pool and saw her body under the water. It looked so lifeless." Nathan sucked in a shaky breath, blinking away his watery eyes. "I started panicking, having flashbacks from almost losing her to Chris Kellar, almost losing her from the car accident with Dante, almost losing her because of my pride and idiocy when I was recovering from my accident, almost losing her twice because of Carrie. And then I saw that I was losing her _again_, so I jumped in and pulled her up. Thank God she was still alive. If she wasn't..." Nathan shook his head quickly, fighting off bad thoughts. "I'm just so lucky to have her here with me right now. There have been way too many close calls with her." 

Lucas's lips tugged up in a smile. "I remember when I didn't want you to even be in a five mile radius of Haley. I was trying to protect her from you. But now it seems that you're her savior."

Nathan scoffed. "No, no. I'm not hers." He smiled, thinking of his wife he loved dearly. "She's mine." 

"What're you guys talking about?" Haley asked, padding back into the kitchen. She had changed into sweatpants and a long sleeve shirt. Lucas studied Nathan as he saw Haley walk into the room. He noticed how his eye's lit up as soon as she came into his view. He witnessed how there was grief and seriousness in his eyes when he was talking with him, but once Haley was there, all of it was gone, replaced with happiness. Lucas always knew that Nathan and Haley were insanely in love with eachother, but noticing all of Nathan's devotion and caring for his best friend was pleasant to see.

"Oh you know, just guy stuff," Nathan replied calmly, pulling Haley into his lap. He kissed her hair gently before resting his chin on the top of her head. Haley's eyes closed as she snuggled closer into his chest. Lucas had to smile at their affection.

"You should start packing soon, you need to leave tomorrow," Haley mumbled. Nathan sighed. 

"Do I _have_ to go?" 

Haley smiled sympathetically. "Yes. Sorry. But I have Lucas and Peyton now. More protection." Haley turned to Lucas. "He has safety issues."

"Hey. I just need to know she's okay." Nathan defended, stroking Haley's hair. Lucas laughed, shaking his head.

"How do you guys do it?"

Haley cocked an eyebrow. "Do what?"

"The long distance thing. As a teenager, I always thought distance was easy. But when I do a book tour and I have to be away from Peyton and Sawyer, it's really hard." 

Nathan laughed ruefully. "Oh, we never said it was easy. It's tough." He looked down at Haley, who's gaze was already on him. "Atleast for _me_ it's tough." 

Haley pressed her lips together firmly. "It's hard on me, too. But I try not to stress about it too much because it's bad for the babies." She faced Lucas again. "When I see him on the court, living his dream, it's all I need to see to wash away any feelings of lonliness or remorse I had."

Nathan's eyebrows raised thoughtfully. "You never told me that," he said softly. 

"It's kind of embarrasing..." Haley replied, colour rising to her cheeks. She got off of Nathan's lap and went to raid the fridge just as Lucas got a text message. He read it and answered quickly before looking up at Nathan and Haley to fill them in. 

"That was Peyton, she said she's really sorry, but her and Sawyer aren't going to come and visit tonight. Sawyer is out cold. We also have a lot of unpacking to do...and Nathan has a lot of _packing_ to do. So I should go...but I'll see you tomorrow, Hales?" He said, throwing his jacket over his shoulders, doing up the zipper. Haley bit loudly into the apple she had picked from the fridge. 

"Yeah, definitely."

Lucas walked over to Nathan, who got up from his chair to give him a brotherly hug. 

"Have a great time out there, Nate. You've been doing amazing."

Nathan grinned. "Thanks, man. See you in a few months?" 

Lucas nodded before exiting. "Yup. We'll be here." 

Nathan was instantly struck by the truth and reality behind that statement. They would be there. For good. 

"Alright, seeya." 

Haley sat down at her piano when she heard the door click shut, and lightly drummed the keys. Nathan went and sat beside her. 

"Any musical masterpieces come to mind lately?"

Haley smirked. "I wouldn't exactly call any of my songs masterpieces."

Shrugging, Nathan limply let his arm fall over Haley's shoulders. "You're right. They're better." 

Haley rolled her eyes, turning to face Nathan. "You excited to go back tomorrow?" 

Nathan scrunched his face. "Sure. I'm ready to start playing again. I've missed it."

Haley's eyes lit up. "Good. I'm so proud of you, you know that right?" 

Nathan grinned from ear to ear. "Yeah. You're too good to me, Haley James." 

She let out a quiet laugh. "_Good. _Not _too_ good." 

"Liar." 

Haley smiled. "Whatever you say." She smacked his arm lightly, "you need to pack, mister!" 

Nathan moved his arm from around her shoulders to her lower waist, pulling her closer to him. "Will you help me?"

"Of course," she replied easily. Nathan winked before kissing her. The kiss was full of passion, enough to make any girl's head spin. Haley pulled back after a few seconds.

"What am I helping you with, again?" she asked dizzily. Nathan stared at Haley longingly before he whisked her into his arms, bringing her up to their bedroom for a _proper_ goodbye. 

*****Later**

"I'm having deja vu." 

Nathan peered over at Haley, who was tightly under his arm, sheets wrapped around her body. Her eyes were closed, a small smile on her face.

"What?"

She opened her eyes, sighing. "Remember when we got back together after the first tour?" 

Nathan nodded slowly. 

"And I didn't want to unpack? Except this time it's you procrastinating."

Nathan chuckled. "Yeah, I remember that. Is it one am? We have to watch out for intruding uncles."

Haley laughed, getting up. Nathan watched as she picked up his disheveled shirt from the floor and threw it over her body. He adored her perfect curves, and noticed the little baby bump that had started to form around her torso. He studied as she walked to the closet, bending over to pick up his suitcase. His heart skipped a beat as he examined her perfect behind... 

"Nathan." 

Nathan's head snapped up, colour rising to his cheeks. "Sorry."

"Pack. Or else..." 

"Or else what."

"Or else...your team is going to be missing one of their best players." 

He scoffed, pulling on his boxers that had been tossed to the floor earlier. "I wouldn't say that." 

Haley smiled. "You're right, you're better." 

Nathan rolled his eyes at his earlier comment to Haley. "You and Lucas are so bias." 

"No, we're _right_." She started packing articles of clothing into his suitcase. "I'm packing this blue shirt, it makes your eyes pop." 

Nathan smiled, walking over to help Haley pack. "You seem pretty quick to pack me up and send me off," he joked, throwing a pair of shorts into the bag. Haley picked it up briskly, folding it precisely and setting it down properly in the suitcase.

"I just want you to have your dream." 

He folded a shirt and set it in. "If I said I have more than I've ever dreamed, would you tease me?" 

Haley chortled. "Yes. But that's sweet to hear."

The couple kept packing in comfortable silence, until everything of Nathan's was packed once more. Haley looked at the clock. Eleven Thirty. 

"Let's go to sleep," she said, moving to the bed and going under the covers. Nathan followed her and resumed the position of Haley in his arms. Soon enough, the two fell into a harminous slumber. 

*****The Following Afternoon**

****"Bye, Daddy! Beat the Lakers for me, okay? I don't like them. Oh and maybe the Raptors."

Nathan nodded, slinging one of his bags over his shoulder. "I'll remember that, bud." He bent down to Jamie's level, hugging him and kissing his head. "Love you." 

His son smiled. "Love you, too." 

Nathan got up and pulled Haley into a tight hug. "I'll talk to you tonight?" he whispered in her ear, kissing it softly as he pulled back. Haley nodded. 

"Maybe we can try to get skype working tonight," she suggested, rubbing his shoulders.

"Yeah," he said, before cupping both his hands around her cheeks, pulling her in for a sweet kiss. After they pulled back, his hands went to her stomach. He felt two little nudges. 

"Did you feel that?" Haley breathed. Nathan's eyes widened. 

"Yeah. Wow. It's their way of saying bye." He bent down to her stomach, lifting up a portion of her shirt to kiss the swollen torso gently.

"Bye, babies." 

And then with one last wave, he turned his back on his family, walking down the porch steps. Clay and Quinn pulled up in the driveway, kissing and hugging before Nathan loaded his things in the car and drove off with Clay, honking as they rolled out of view. Quinn trudged up the steps, embracing Haley and Jamie. 

"Hiya, Aunt Quinn!" Jamie exclaimed. Quinn patted his head as they stepped in the door.

"Hey Jamie!" 

"Didja hear that Uncle Lucas, Aunt Peyton, and Sawyer are back in Tree Hill for good?" 

"I did! It's great!"

Jamie nodded, skipping through the house up into his room. Quinn and Haley strolled through the entrance way.

"How have you plus two been?" Quinn asked, gasping as she said the words. "Accidental rhyme! I love those."

Haley laughed, pulling her phone out of her pocket. "We're all good. How are you?" 

Quinn smiled widely. "I'm great. Clay's great."

"That's so good to hear, Quinney." She peered down at her phone to see a message from Lucas.

**Hey, Hales. Can Peyton, Sawyer, and I come over in a few minutes? **

****Haley quickly typed back a "yes" response, calling up to Jamie. 

"Jame, clean your room. Sawyer, Lucas, and Peyton are coming over soon!" 

Jamie poked his head out the doorway. "Really? Okay!" 

Quinn grabbed her keys out of her purse and slipped her shoes back on. "Hales, I'm going to go to the studio for a bit. I don't want to ruin your time with Lucas and Peyton."

Haley rolled her eyes. "You won't."

Quinn shrugged. "Well, I just want you guys to catch up. Tell them I'll see them another time, okay?" 

Haley sighed. "Sure."

Quinn smiled, exiting the door. A few minutes later, Lucas, Peyton, and Sawyer came knocking on the door. Haley excitedly opened it and embraced the family in a large bear hug.

"Peyton and Sawyer! I missed you guys so much!" She exclaimed, her eyes dancing. 

"Wow, I'm liking all the love you radiate towards me, Hales," Lucas jokes, stepping out of his shoes. Haley giggled, her eyes still plastered on Peyton and Sawyer. There were no visible changes in Peyton since the last time she saw her, except maybe her hair had grown a little bit longer. Other than that, she was still the same beautiful chicken legged skinny girl Haley had learned to love. Sawyer, on the other hand, had grown a lot. She was really starting to look like Lucas, her beach blonde hair prominent on her head. She had Lucas' lips, Lucas' eyes, Lucas' nose, and Peyton's curly, unruly hair. She had even started to develop a little squint in her eye, like Lucas.

"Wow, Sawyer. You really look like your Daddy."

Sawyer smiled, her baby teeth a milky white. "Ya." 

"Well, Jamie's upstairs, so..."

"Aunt Peyton! Sawyer!" Jamie came sprinting down the stairs, running into Peyton's arms. Lucas stood there, his jaw dropped.

"Am I invisible?"

Peyton laughed, ruffling Jamie's hair. "Hey, Jame! You've grown a lot!" 

Jamie pulled back and moved to Sawyer. "Yeah, that's what Momma and Dad have said! One day, if I'm not tall enough to be in the NBA, I'm going to be a movie director, like Julian!" 

"Wow!" 

Jamie nodded, grabbing Sawyer's hand. "Wanna see my room, Sawyer? You can say hi to Pablo!" 

Sawyer smiled excitedly as she skipped up the stairs with Jamie. Peyton turned back to Haley, her eyes chipper. 

"Hales! You look great!"

Haley blushed, her smile turning sly. "Thanks, Peyton. You do, too! Come in, come in."

Peyton and Lucas stepped in the mansion's front hallway, following Haley to the living room. Haley took a seat on one of the couches, Peyton and Lucas on the one across.

"So, how have you been? I heard about you guys moving back to Tree Hill...that's awesome!" 

Peyton relaxed into the comft couches. "Yeah, we just missed it too much." 

Haley smiled pleasantly. "Are you going to run Red Bedroom Records again?" 

Peyton mirrored her smile. "Yes! Since Miranda is gone, anyways." 

Haley gasped. "Yay!"

"I'm excited to get back into the groove of everything." 

Haley nodded slowly, her phone beeping. She picked it up and read a text from Nathan.

**Just saw an Elvis shaped sandwich and thought of you.**

She grinned stupidly, remembering the gang's Honey Grove trip in senior year. 

"Oooh, Nathan just texted her," Lucas said to Peyton, jabbing his finger in Haley's direction. Haley looked up at him.

"Is it _that _obvious?"

Peyton sighed heartedly. "I almost forgot how insanley in love you guys still are."

Haley raised her eyebrows. "Well, so are you and Lucas." 

Peyton smiled at Lucas, who kissed her forehead tenderly.

"See," Haley said, smiling. Peyton shrugged. 

"I just feel like you guys are in your own league." 

Haley shook her head, laughing. "So Lucas, how's the writing going?" 

Lucas squinted his eyes, his lip tugging up on one side. "Meh. I'm more focused on getting moved in again."

"Ooh, yeah! Who's going to get your old bedroom?"

Lucas draped his arm over Peyton's shoulder. "Well, _I_ want Peyton and I to get it, but it's really all up to Peyton."

Peyton rolled her eyes, laughing. "He's not usually that understanding."

"Whatever makes you happy, honey."

Haley chuckled. "Well, I could help you guys move in whenever you need it."

Peyton pressed her lips into a frim line. "Would Nathan want you to? With the babies and all." 

Haley sighed. "No." 

"Then you can just come over and...supervise." 

Haley smiled slightly. "Alright, sounds good."

So the trio continued with their conversation, discussing everything from Brooke's wedding to the type of lamp shades Haley bought for her living room. Peyton claimed that ever since her and Lucas decided they were going go move back to Tree Hill, she wanted to deck the whole house out in artsy patterns and designs. Of course Lucas wouldn't allow that to happen to his childhood home, but Peyton was still scoping out cool accessories for the house. 

"I think I'll go check out Home Sense then," Peyton said, inspecting the lampshade beside her. Haley nodded, her gaze meeting Lucas's, which was focused and on her. 

"Whoa, what did I do to get that creepy glare?" 

Lucas shook his head, smiling slightly. "Sorry. I'm just happy for you."

"Because I have nice lampshades...?"

"No, no. I'm happy because you're happy." 

Haley inhaled loudly. "Oh. You're talking about my mom." 

Lucas leaned over and patted Haley's knee. "Nathan told me about what happened. We're really sorry we couldn't be there for the funeral." 

Peyton nodded sadly. 

"I know." Haley shrugged. "It's okay. It took a while to...feel better. But I do now. It still hurts sometimes. Some days I'll want to pick up the phone and call her. And then I realize I can't, and it stings." She watched the floor sadly. 

"If you ever need to talk..." Peyton trailed off as Haley looked up, nodding.

"I know. I've got you and Lucas. Thank you, you two. I love you guys." 

"We love you, too." Lucas smiled.

"So, what's your day like for tomorrow?" Haley asked, crossing one leg over the other. 

"I'm going to go check out Tric and everything, maybe start looking through new artists." Peyton answered, smiling at the thought of music. "I also heard that you filmed your Flying Machine music video! I can't wait to see it, Hales. I loved your second album, Miranda really did a good job." 

Haley grinned. "Yeah, it was fun. I'm just so happy you're going to be running it again. We'll have so much fun. I have some new work I've wanted someone to hear." 

Peyton's eyes widened. "Ooh, pick me!" 

Haley chuckled. "So, what about you Luke?" 

He shrugged. "Just moving boxes and stuff. What do you have going on?"

"Doctors appointment. Going to go see the twins for the first time." Haley bit her lip, her demeanor shifting from relaxed to apprihensive. 

Lucas and Peyton didn't seem to notice, smiling and nodding, continuing the conversation. Soon, a tired looking Jamie came down the stairs with an asleep Sawyer in his arms. Lucas and Peyton knew it was time to go home, and Haley wanted to try to get Skype working with Nathan before it was too late. Quinn came home eventually and said hello to Peyton and Lucas, chatting for a little bit before Sawyer started snoring in Lucas's arms. So the couple said their goodbye's and left, knowing they would see Haley, Jamie, and Quinn tomorrow. 

A few minutes later, Jamie was in bed, getting tucked in by Haley.

"Okay, which book today?" Haley asked, perching on the side of his bed. Jamie yawned loudly, stretching his arms out to the side. 

"No book tonight, I'm tired."

Haley smoothed Jamie's hair down and kissed his forehead. "Alright, buddy. See you in the morning. Goodnight, love you."

Jamie's eyelids dropped. "Love you too, Momma." 

Haley got up slowly and closed his door quietly, taking one last peek at him. He was already sound asleep.

She moved to her and Nathan's bedroom, flipping open her laptop and taking out her cellphone. She clicked Nathan's number, and heard him pick up on the third ring. 

_"Hey, Hales."_

Haley smiled at his voice. "Hey. So, I may be tutor girl, but I am not the best with computers. How the heck do I get to Skype?"

Nathan chuckled on the other end. _"Clay installed it on your laptop before we left. Go to your desktop, and there should be an icon reading "Skype" on it. It should be white outlined in light blue. Do you see it?" _

__Haley searched for the icon, finding it a few seconds later. She double clicked on it and saw Nathan's name pop up on the side. "I see your name," she commented, staring at the screen.

_"Yeah, Clay connected our computers too before we left. Who knew he was such a computer geek? Ow."  
_

"Ow?" 

_"Clay just hit me because I called him a geek_." Haley heard the phone move and Clay's voice come on the other end_. "I am not a computer nerd, for the record. Just...technologically inclined_."

Haley laughed. "Don't worry, I used to be the big nerd in high school."

She heard the phone move again, and Nathan's voice was back on, more impatient this time.

_"Anyways, click on my name, and then you should be able to see me on webcam, and I should be able to see you."  
_

Haley followed Nathan's instructions, clicking on his name until him and Clay appeared on the screen. She turned up the volume and hung up the phone. One great thing about Skype compared to phones; you could see the person you were talking to, and it was free. 

"Hey!" Haley waved, taking in Nathan and Clay's appearance. Clay was wearing a blue wool long sleeve, his sandy blonde hair tousled like always. Nathan was wearing a grey tshirt, his muscles stretching the sleeves of the shirt. His hair was a little bit rumpled, and he had some scruff on his face, but it made him appeal even more to Haley. 

"Hey," the guys said at the same time. Nathan turned his head and widened his eyes at Clay. 

"Oh, I get it. He wants me to leave. Well, nice seeing you for all of two seconds, Hales," Clay smiled, waving and exiting the room. Nathan laughed and shook his head.

"So, I never thought I would ever need to internet date," Haley said, taking a sip of water beside her. "What's your name, again? I'm Haley James." 

Nathan raised his eyebrows, grinning. "I'm Nathan Scott. I'm looking for a tutor?"

Haley cooed. "Oooh, well, it just so happens I know a tutor." 

"Oh really now. Who?" He winked.

"Well, it depends." Haley shrugged. "Who do you need a tutor for?"

"Well I really suck at Math."

Haley smiled. "Well, Math don't care, and neither..."

"Do I." Nathan finished. Haley chuckled. 

"So, what are you looking for, Nathan?"

Nathan deliberated. "A great life with a great woman, I guess. Beautiful chocolate brown eyes, blonde hair, **(Editor's Note: Joy dyed her hair blonde again, so in season 8 there'll be a blonde Haley.. yay!), **insanely amazing voice, sexy body-" 

"Don't know anyone like that, sorry."

Nathan snapped his fingers. "Dammit." His expression changed from taunting to thoughtful. Haley knew their joking banter was over.

"What's up?" She asked, settling down into her bed. Nathan smiled. 

"Nothing really. I'm sorry that I had to leave before your doctor's appointment. I wish at least _someone_ could be there for you."

Haley shrugged. "It's okay. I'm a big girl, Nate." She smiled softly, knowing he had the best intentions for her. 

"I know, but you're _my_ girl, and I want you to be okay."

"Don't worry about me. Worry about your game coming up. It's more important."

Nathan scoffed, shaking his head.

"Really." Haley yawned, stretching her arms out to the side.

"Get some sleep," Nathan said. Haley shook her head.

"I wanna talk to you more."

"Then we can text, it's better than having a bright computer light in your face. I'll see you tomorrow, same time?"

Haley smiled. "It's a date."

"Yeah, bring that tutor that you know. I wanna check her out." Nathan grinned crookedly, making Haley's heart melt.

"Okay, I'm gonna get off before I change my mind. Seeya." She moused over to the disconnect button, clicking it until his smiling face disappeared. A minute later, her phone beeped.

**Just met this really fantastic girl online. You may have some competition, Haley James.  
**

Haley smiled, quickly typing back to Nathan. 

**Oh really now? Well it just so happens I met a pretty sexy guy online, too.  
**

Another beep. Man, he typed fast. 

**Mhmm? Well, don't get **_**too**_** attatched. You're still mine.  
**

**Same goes for you. Alright, I'm off to sleep. I love you.**

I love you too. Remember to tell me how the appointment goes. Have a good sleep. I'll be thinking of being with you in our soft, warm, bed while Clay is snoring like an idiot at two am.

Haley chuckled sleepily and set her phone down, snuggling tighter into the sheets and falling into a steady slumber.

*****The Next Day**

"Hello?"

_"Hey, I'm bored."_

Haley chuckled. "I am, too. Waiting for five o'clock to come around by myself is pretty dull."

Lucas raised an eyebrow on the other end. _"Appointment?"_

"Yup."

_"Can I come? I've unpacked a crapload of boxes today, so I feel like I've gotten things accomplished. Sawyer is with Brooke, Peyton's at the studio, and I'm sitting at home, wondering if I should try to hook up the tv or not. Then I realized that I have a very convenient best friend that I could visit instead. So whaddya say?"_

Haley checked the clock. Four thirty. "Sure, but get your butt over here now if you can, I was planning on leaving in ten minutes."

_"Alright."_ Lucas hung up and was at Nathan and Haley's house within minutes.

"You excited? Nervous? Both?" Lucas's questions seemed endless as they hopped in Haley's red, shiny car. "Whoa, nice ride!"

Haley smiled. "Yeah, Nathan got it for me for my birthday."

Lucas's eyes widened as he sat in the car, inspecting the perfect leather inside. "Remind me to add a car to my birthday list and give it to Nate," he chuckled.

"And to answer your other questions... I'm nervous." Haley admitted as she revved the vehicle to life, backing out of the driveway. Lucas squinted his eyes at her.

"Why?"

Haley shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't seen the other one, yet. What if something's wrong with it? What if it's premature and unhealthy? What if it has a serious medical condition, and that's why they hadn't spotted it before. Like, how do you miss a freakin' other baby in someone's stomach?"

Lucas touched Haley's knee. "I think that these two baby's will be beautiful and healthy."

Haley looked unconviced. "I want to believe that, Luke. I do. But I just have this feeling."

"Haley, you've been doing everything right. You've been eating right, exercising right, taking the correct vitamins, not drinking or anything like that. So even if something _is_ wrong, there is no way you can blame it on yourself, okay?"

Haley didn't respond, only inhaling loudly.

Lucas moved his hand to her shoulder, rubbing it softly. "You know I love you, right? You're my best friend."

Haley nodded solitarily.

"So if you need _anyone_, or _anything_, for any reason at all, I'm here. It could be three am, and you're calling me because you're hungry and too lazy to go to the fridge and get food. I'll be there. Nathan may be gone a lot, but I am here. You're not alone in this, Haley."

A small smile appeared on Haley's face. "Nathan said the same thing to me during my depression."

"It seems he handled it well," Lucas commented.

"Yeah, he was great. Very understanding." She said, turning into the doctor's office. She hopped out with Lucas by her side, and walked nervously into the office. She was called in right away, and Dr. Seeling was already waiting in the room when her and Lucas came in.

"Hello, Haley." She smiled warmly, taking in Lucas's appearance.

"Lucas Scott," he introduced, shaking Dr. Seeling's hand. She nodded her head.

"Nathan's brother?"

"Half brother, yeah."

"Alright, well, I'm Dr. Seeling." She turned to Haley. "Let's get you down on the bed and check out these _two_ babies!"

Haley smiled unsurely, lying face up on the bed. She lifted her shirt up and watched Dr. Seeling rub the blue goo on. She grabbed the handset and started moving it around Haley's stomach. Lucas watched Haley's expression. It was guarded, her gaze fixed in the screen. He hadn't seen her blink in about two minutes. Wow, she was _really_ anxious.

"Have you felt any changes in your body since we discovered the other fetus?" Dr. Seeling asked, her eyes also on the monitor. Nothing had shown up yet.

"N-no." Haley said. "My stomach's just gotten a bit bigger."

Dr. Seeling nodded. "Yes, you have. It's a good thing." 

The handset moved more to the centre of Haley's stomach, until a faint outline of a small body showed up. Lucas exhaled.

"Wow."

Haley kept staring at the screen as Dr. Seeling moved the handset around her stomach. Soon enough, the second outline appeared, this one being slightly smaller than the other one. Tears instantly formed in Haley's eyes. 

"There they are," Dr. Seeling smiled, keeping the handset still on Haley's stomach. Lucas took hold of Haley's hand, soothing her as a few tears escaped down her cheeks.

"There they are," Haley repeated. "Are they healthy? Can you tell?"

Dr. Seeing inspected the picture closer. A few minutes later, she turned back to Haley and Lucas.

"From what I can see, your babies seem to be perfectly normal and healthy. Come back in about a month for another checkup. But, if something changes, come see me right away, okay?"

Haley nodded firmly. Dr. Seeling smiled pleasantly at her and wiped off the blue goo, the babies disappearing back into their seclusion in Haley's stomach. Lucas helped Haley off the bed, holding her close for a second, reassuring her of any worries she had, before releasing. Haley smiled up at him, all her perturbance and fear eliminated. They walked out of the hospital together, Haley's whole demeanor more relaxed. They stepped in the car and took off.

"I don't think I've ever been so nervous for something," Haley confessed as they drove down Main Street. Lucas looked over at her.

"But they're healthy," he smiled. "I call that a success."

Haley grinned back at him. "Me too."

The two best friends drove back to the Scott's house so Lucas could get his car.

"Alright, go unpack more." Haley said as Lucas opened the door to his car. He smiled at Haley, hugging her before settling in.

Lucas sighed. "Yeah, better go to that before Peyton calls wanting to find her records. I still need to unpack those. They took an hour to pack up!"

Haley just chuckled in response, waving as Lucas backed out of the driveway and left. As soon as he was out of sight, Haley whipped out her phone, clicking speed dial number two. Of course he picked up on the first ring.

_"How are they?"_

Haley's smile widened at Nathan's immediate concern. "They're great and wonderful and healthy and amazing and every single positive adjective I can think of!"

Nathan let out a sigh of relief on the other end. _"That's so good to hear, Hales."_

"Yeah! And Lucas came with me, so I wasn't alone."

Nathan grinned. _"Good, good. And you're okay?"_

Haley smiled. "Yes, I'm great, amazing husband."

Nathan chuckled. "_Now I have some...news."_

Haley's brow furrowed. "Okay..." She heard him sigh heavily on the other end.

_"There's been a coaches strike. Which means that all scheduled games are going to be rescheduled."_

"For how long?"

Nathan shrugged on the other line. _"Could be weeks."  
_  
Haley raised an eyebrow. "So what does that mean for you right now?"

_"Well, here's the thing. Clay and I are in the airport, on the way to Toronto. We were supposed to be facing the Raptors tomorrow. But that's not happening, and Clay wants to stay and explore Canada. So, I was thinking...Jamie still has a week left of winter vacation, so why don't you guys and Quinn come down and visit?" _His voice was hopeful. Haley beamed at the thought of this new adventure. She had never been to Canada before.

"That sounds great, Nathan!"

She could practically hear Nathan smile through the line. _"Alright, so Clay can set up a flight for you guys for tomorrow afternoon? I know it's short notice, but we don't know how long this strike is going to go on for. It could be very long or very short, so we-"  
_

"Nathan," Haley interuppted. "Everything sounds wonderful! I've got to go tell Jamie and Quinn though. I guess I'll...see you tomorrow?" Words couldn't express how joyful Haley felt saying those words.

Nathan grinned happily on the opposite end. _"Yeah. I'll see you. Love you."_

"Love you too!" Haley exclaimed, hitting the end button and skipping up the steps. Everything was so fantastic in her life at that moment. She had a wonderful family, great friends, and perfect health. Now, a getaway to another country. Haley couldn't wait. 

**Phew! That was the longest chapter I've ever written!**

Any Canadians out there? I'm Canadian, haha. I've been planning to get Naley into Canada since I've started this story. I know Toronto very well, so it'll be fun to write!

Also, I'm going to be gone at my friends cottage for a whole week, and there are no laptops/computers there.. so it may be like two weeks until I get the next chapter out! Sorry!

Thanks for reading (:  



	22. Canada Bound

**Disclaimer: I don't own OTH or anything in Toronto.**

_  
Just breathe, Haley._

Haley boarded the plane, Jamie's hand firmly in hers. Her heart beat a hundred times faster as the doors sealed shut after Quinn had climbed in. She looked around, the clean, white seats of the first class section of the plane almost all empty. Of _course_ Nathan and Clay had set up first class for them. Jamie's eyes widened at the fascination of this foreign experience. He had never been on a plane before. He let go of his mother's hand, running over to a large, comfy chair. A flight attendant was at his side in a second, offering him food and movies. Quinn moved around Haley, taking a seat in the aisle beside Jamie's. Haley stood frozen in the middle. She looked out the window. They were already too high off the ground for her liking, and they hadn't even taken off yet. She shuddered as an attendant brushed by her with Jamie's order of food. He had a big ol' grin on his face, obviously loving the plane already. Quinn slid her headphones on and closed her eyes, perfectly at ease. Haley shakily moved to the seat behind Jamie so she could keep an eye on him and Quinn. She peered out the window again and came to face the facts. She hated flying. 

"Hello, miss. Would you like any beverages or meals?" A polite looking flight attendant asked sweetly. Haley took a deep breath, ripping her eyes away from the window. 

"Uh, no, thank you," she forced a smile. "Do you offer internet?"

"Yes we do," the attendant bit her lip. "But it costs an extra hundred dollars."

"I'll take it." 

The attendant smiled and nodded. "Okay, we'll connect it to your laptop." She walked away, her heels clicking against te carpeted floors. Haley flipped open her Mac fiercely, triple clicking on the Skype icon. It popped up almost immediately. She checked her internet connection - it came on abruptly, and Nathan's name was on the online list. She tapped his name, and soon enough, the video chat loaded, and Nathan's face appeared on the screen. 

"Hey, you told me to come on. You get internet connection on the plane?"

Haley's fears of the plane just about left her brain as she stared into his deep blue eyes. Even though it was through a computer screen, they seemed more electric than usual. 

She nodded, shyly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"You nervous?" He asked, even though he knew the answer. He was aware of Haley's fear of planes, and wished he could have been there with her. But he would see her in a matter of hours, and that made him happier than anything. 

Haley inhaled, opening her mouth to speak, before she was interuppted by loud speakers booming over her head. 

"Attention everyone. Take off is in one minute. We encourage you to fasten your seatbelts. Thank you."

And all the nerves rushed back into Haley. Her breath became short in her throat, her palms clamming up. Nathan heard the announcement over Skype, and noticed Haley's sudden extreme anxiety. 

"Hales, breathe." 

She let out a woosh of air. "I'm okay, I'm okay." 

Nathan smiled sympathetically. "You'll be here in three hours. Clay and I are meeting you guys at the airport." 

Haley nodded. "I know." 

The plane abruptly started rumbling furiously. Haley gasped, grabbing onto the laptop before it crashed to the ground. Her eyebrows crumpled, her breathing excellerating.

"That was _not_ one minute!" 

Nathan chuckled. "Hales," Her eyes darted to the computer screen. Atleast Nathan was there with her... kind of. "You'll be fine." 

"Easy for you to say," Haley said shakily as the plane started to take off. She squeezed her eyes shut and gripped the seat, her ears popping at the change of altitude. "You go on planes all the time." 

"How's Jamie?" Nathan asked. Haley carefully leaned over to see Jamie's jaw dropped open as they started soaring in the air. He looked back at Haley.

"This is _so_ cool, momma!" 

Haley forced a smile and nodded, not daring to look out the window. She turned her attention back to Nathan. 

"He loves it." 

Nathan grinned. "I knew he would. Want me to show you your view out the window?" 

Haley sucked in a breath. "As long as I don't have to look out the window, sure." She turned the laptop and pointed the webcam out the window, hearing Nathan's audible gasp.

"Wow," he breathed as she turned the laptop back to her uneasy expression. 

"I wouldn't know what it looks like," Haley admitted, gulping down a lump in her throat. 

"Talk to me, Hales. It'll keep you distracted. What did you do this morning?" 

Haley had to smile at Nathan trying to help her. "Well, I packed a little bit more, made some breakfast, peed a lot." 

Nathan laughed. Haley smiled weakly at him, checking to see if Jamie was listening. He had big headphones on and looked quite infatuated by the movie playing infront of him. 

"It's like having two in here decreases the size of my bladder by double or something. When are we going to tell Jamie, by the way?" She kept her voice low, just in case. Nathan shrugged. 

"I guess when you guys get here. How do you think he'll take it?"

"Fine, I hope. As long as he doesn't go search up porn again, I think we're okay." 

Nathan chortled, hearing the speakers from the plane come on again in the backround of the computer. Haley's eyes widened at the message. 

"We're going to be experiencing turbulence in a few secon- whoa!" Haley's hold tightened on the seat as the plane went up and over bumps of wind. She leaned over to check on Jamie. He was fast asleep. A few seconds later, the turbulence ended. 

"You okay?" Nathan asked cautiously. Haley chewed her bottom lip.

"Okay wouldn't exactly be the word to describe me right now. Just freaking out a little bit. Our son is fast asleep though. Unphased completely." 

Nathan smiled. "That's my boy."

"What are you doing at the hotel?" Haley asked, keeping her mind off of her worries about flying. Nathan had a bored expression written all over his face.

"Nothing. Clay's out getting a bunch of winter coats, it's frickin' freezing here." 

Haley chuckled quietly. "I brought winter jackets, Nate."

Nathan nodded his head. "And I can almost guarantee you they won't be warm enough. It's colder here than it was in Utah, Hales. I don't know why people would choose to live in a place this cold, ugh." He shuddered in his Bobcats hoodie.

"It's a beautiful country, though. I've researched it a lot." 

Nathan cocked his head to one side. "That's true. It's really nice here. Doesn't change the temperature, though." He winked, causing Haley's heart to melt.

"Quinn's been talking about the Eaton Centre a lot. She can't wait to go. Have you been there before?" Haley asked. Nathan's eyes widened at the mention of the Eaton Centre. 

"Yeah, wow. I love that mall. And I'm a guy," he laughed. "It's huge. We'll have to put Jamie on a leash or something. He'll go crazy over all the game stores." 

Haley smiled, continuing to keep the small talk with Nathan alive. Soon, the flight was over,and they were on safe, solid ground. Haley could finally breathe properly again. Before she knew it, Nathan and Clay were standing a few feet away from her, Quinn, and Jamie. Haley grinned as her eyes connected with Nathan's striking blue ones. Jamie beat her to him, jumping into his arms.

"Dad!" He exclaimed as Nathan caught him. 

"Hey, buddy! Long time no see." Nathan laughed musically. Jamie pulled back.

"I saw you yesterday, daddy!" 

"I know, you goofball!" He joked, setting Jamie down. Haley's heart warmed at the adorable father-son moment. She walked forward, wrapping her arms around Nathan's neck once Jamie ran over to Clay and Quinn. 

"Good flight?" He winked, snaking his arms around Haley's waist. Haley rolled her eyes, grinning. 

"Thank you," she whispered in his ear, kissing it softly.

"For what?" 

"Talking with me through that flight. I'm sorry I was so nervous." She bit her lip bashfully. Nathan just smiled wider, kissing her.

"We all have fears, Haley James." he said after breaking the kiss. "Yours just happens to be flying."

"And clowns," Haley shuddered. "Don't forget clowns."

Nathan laughed, letting his wife go. He walked over to Jamie. 

"How was your first flight, Jame?" He asked. He was curious. Jamie had always wanted to go on a plane, and was disappointed when he found out they were driving to Utah. Now that he had actually gone on a plane, Nathan wanted to know if the dream had lived up to the reality. 

"I don't know," Jamie rubbed his eyes. "I fell asleep! But taking off was cool, my ears felt like bubblewrap!" 

Nathan laughed and patted Jamie's head, happy to be reunited with his family.

"So, where to go, where to go..." Clay trailed off, inspecting a large map he was holding out infront of him. Quinn chuckled. 

"You look like the biggest tourist in the world, Clay."

Clay's head snapped up from the map. "Atleast I won't look like a _lost_ tourist." He retorted. "And I don't trust Nathan's sense of direction anymore after we got lost that one time. Remember, Nate?"

Nathan stayed silent, looking down at the ground sheepishly. Clay grinned smugly.

"'The Human Compass'...ha!"

"Alright, alright. I don't have the best sense of direction." Nathan admitted. Clay sighed heavily. 

"Thank you. That's all I needed to hear."

"So where to, Mr. Tour Guide?" Haley asked. Clay's eyes returned to the map. He searched for a couple seconds before tapping a spot. 

"CN Tower?"

Quinn's stomach churned at the thought of heights. "That building is really, really, tall, isn't it?"

Clay's eyes lit up. "Yeah! It's one of the seven wonders of the modern world! Won't it be awesome?"

Haley eyed Quinn. She was aware of her fear of heights, so she was anxious to see how she would handle this expedition. She watched her sister suck in a breath, giving herself a reassuring nod. 

"Yes, it will be." 

Haley's lips tugged up in a genuine grin. She was proud of her sister. Quinn had been through so much but still managed to keep her head held high and a smile on her face.

"Whaddya say, Jamie? You wanna go?" Haley asked, patting Jamie's head. Jamie nodded feverishly.

"Yeah!" 

"Let's go, then!" Nathan exclaimed, picking up Jamie and Haley's suitcases.

*****At the CN Tower  
**

"You've got to be kidding me."

The officer shrugged. "New rule. Sorry, miss. It doesn't matter if you're even one week pregnant, you cannot go higher than five stories in the CN Tower." 

Haley turned to Clay. "Is there anything interesting to see from the first to fifth floor?" 

Clay pressed his lips in a firm line, flipping through a book he had purchased about the CN Tower a few minutes earlier. "Well... a restaurant..." 

Haley sighed. "Oh well. I'll wait down here, you guys go up." She walked over to a chair and plopped down on it. Nathan shook his head, walking over to his wife.

"No no no. If you're not going up, neither am I."

"Nathan..." Haley started. She knew she would lose this argument. When Nathan wanted something, he got it. 

"Hales..." He stared into her eyes, Haley looking back with equal determination. Quinn and Clay raised their eyebrows. 

"Fine," Haley finally sighed after a few seconds. Quinn chuckled, leaning over to whisper to Clay. 

"Did they just have a conversation with their eyes?" 

Clay chortled, shrugging. "I think so. That's what happens when you're together since sixteen."

"We can take Jamie up if you guys want to go explore Toronto or something." Clay suggested, pulling Jamie into a noogie. 

"Ahh! Uncle Clay!" Jamie squirmed to escape Clay's grasp. 

Nathan laughed. He was happy that he had Clay. He had truly become his best friend. He knew that one day, Clay would make a great father. 

"Okay, how about we meet back here in about an hour and a half?" Nathan asked, interlacing his fingers with Haley's. Clay nodded.

"Yep. See you guys then." 

Nathan and Haley watched Clay, Quinn, and Jamie start to climb the stairs, until they were out of eyesight. They walked out the doors together while Haley pulled on her mittins and wool hat. Nathan frowned.

"What?" Haley asked.

"I can't hold your hand anymore." He pouted towards her mittins. Haley rolled her eyes, taking Nathan's hand.

"Yes you can." 

Nathan sighed. "I meant I can't put my fingers through yours." 

Haley smiled cheekily. "Well, I'm not sacrificing my mittins for you, sorry." 

"Ouch. Alright. So what do you want to do?" 

Haley moved her shoulders up, lettingt them drop. "I don't know. I'm the one who's never been here before."

"I've only been in the ACC and the Eaton Centre. So I don't know where I'm going, either." Nathan pointed out, gazing in the windows of cute little shops they passed by. 

"Uh-oh. I'm stuck with the guy who always gets lost. Dammit." Haley winked up at Nathan, leaning towards his side. He moved his hand around her waist, resting his cheek on the top of her head. All of a sudden, they heard a faint _click_. 

"Shit," Nathan cursed, his eyes darting around. Just as suspected, a thousand little _click_s followed the first one. Soon, papparazzi popped out of snow covered bushes, parked vans, bakery's, you name it. There was a swarm around the couple in a span of a minute. Nathan lost hold of Haley in the craziness.

"Haley? Where are you?" He called, using his height to his advantage. He scanned over the heads of the papparazzi, looking for a small blonde with a grey wool hat. "Haley?" 

He manuvered through the papparazzi onto the other side of them, where Haley stood patientely. Nathan sighed.

"Okay, nevermind about putting Jamie on a leash," he muttered, pulling her close to him. "I'm going to have to put _you_ on one." 

Haley bit a smile. "I can't help that I'm better at escaping papparazzi than you are."

Nathan opened his mouth to respond, but Haley beat him to the punch, gasping as she saw Nathan Phillips Square infront of her. She jabbed her finger in it's direction and grabbed Nathan's hand, dragging him across the street.

"Can we go skating? Can we?" 

Nathan had to crack a smile at Haley's enthusiasm. He never deprived her of anything, so naturally, he agreed. And soon enough, the two were hand in hand, skating cautiously by the boarders, Haley's other hand gripping the side for balance.

"Want to speed up a little, Hales?" Nathan suggested lightly, trying his best to stay steady at Haley's sluggish pace. Haley looked up at him, uncertainty in her eyes.

"If I let go of this boarder, will you catch me if I fall?"

Nathan grinned, taking Haley's other hand off the boarder and holding it in his, so he had a grasp on both her hands.

"Whoa, Nathan! I wasn't ready!"

"Do you trust me?" He asked, a smirk on his lips. Haley stared into his blue eyes. Of course she did. With all her heart. 

"Yes."

"Then skate with me. It'll be fun." He winked, starting to make his strides more powerful and longer. Haley grabbed onto his biceps and held on for dear life as he did all the work while she glided effortlessly behind him.

"Wheee!" She exclaimed as the wind blew in her face. It was an exhilerating rush. She liked it. 

A few laps later, Nathan came to a stop. Haley smiled up at him after the hault.

"That was so much fun!"

"What did I tell you?" Nathan said, bending over to pick Haley up in his arms, baby style. He started skating around again, pulling her tighter in so he wouldn't drop her. Haley grasped onto his neck, staring into his mesmerizing blue eyes.

"Can we stay like this forever?" she whispered, kissing Nathan's cheek. Colour rose to Nathan's face as he looked at the ice bashfully, slowing down the pace.

"I feel like we're at prom again," he said, moving a strand of hair out of Haley's face. She nodded her head silently, remembering her broken leg and how he had picked her up and danced with her on the rooftop.

"That was a great night," she reminisced. She moved her hand from around Nathan's neck to touch her locket he had given her a few months earlier. Nathan smiled at her movement. 

"So, where to next, Mrs. Scott?" He asked as he came to a stop at the entrance to the rink. Haley shrugged as he carefully set her back on the ice. 

"Let's get a map and see," she suggested as they skated off. A few mintues later, Haley had managed to find a free map stand and had it opened infront of her, searching intently. She looked like Clay.

"Find anything yet?" Nathan asked, looking over her shoulder. Haley bit her lip, like she always did when she was concentrated on something. 

"Hockey Hall Of Fame?" She asked, looking up at Nathan.

"Jamie will probably want to see that," he said. Haley nodded.

"Yeah, you're right. Ooh! The Ontario Science Centre!"

Nathan groaned. "Hales..." 

Haley pouted her bottom lip. "Pleaaaase, Nathan?" 

Sighing, Nathan gave in, taking Haley's mitted hand. They walked to a bus stop, hopped on, and was at the Science Centre in minutes. Nathan watched his wife adoringly as her eyes lit up when they crossed the entrance.

"Wow, this is _so_ awesome. I wish they had one of these in Tree Hill."

"Mhmm," Nathan said, trying to sound enthusiastic. Honestly, anything that involved school or learning confused him to no end. He wasn't stupid, but he wasn't the brightest bulb either. Good thing he married his tutor. 

"Oh come on. It'll be fun." 

"You sound like me," Nathan chuckled. "As long as I'm with you, it'll be fun."

Haley grinned, going on her tip toes kiss Nathan's cheek. "That's the spirit. Now let's go explore science!"

*****About 30 Minutes Of Science Later...  
**

"Nathan look at this!" 

After thirty minutes of being consumed by science, Nathan had come to realize that the Ontario Science Centre was more for kids than for adults of his age. If it wasn't for Haley's excitement over every little spark or experiment that they had seen, he would've left twenty nine minutes ago.

"Oh my. Let me get the camera, one sec." 

Nathan pulled his camera out of his backpack and snapped the picture of Haley. She had her hand to a giant crystal ball like thing, with electric sparks inside of it. Her hair was sticking up and out in every which way. After the picture was taken, she removed her hand.

"You try," she said, taking the camera out of Nathan's hand. Nathan raised an eyebrow. 

"My hair is probably too short." But he tried anyways, and some of his little strands of hair made themselves more pronounced, causing chuckles from Haley.

"No, it worked. Believe me." She snapped the picture and turned the camera off. She walked over to Nathan and took his hand, leading him around the rest of the room. Once they left the electricity section, Haley's stomach grumbled obnioxiously loud.

"You know what? Let's get out of here and get some lunch," Nathan suggested hopefully, using any excuse to escape the coil Science had on him. Haley furrowed her brow and walked over to a nearby layout of the centre. She tapped on the map and waved him over. 

"There's a foodcourt in here. So we can eat and then continue the tour." She smiled convincingly up at her husband. Nathan tried to swallow the groan that was rumbling up his throat, he really did. But his attemps were'nt successful. He grunted and moaned childishly, pouting his bottom lip, the same way Haley did when she wanted something.

"Come on, Hales. I know _you_ love the Science Centre, and you know I want to do anything to make you happy...but..." Nathan trailed off, not sure how to word it that he hated everything to do with the subject of Science.

Haley nodded. "I understand. We can get out of here, go explore somewhere else."

Nathan sighed. "Thank you." He took Haley's hand and pulled her out the door, breathing in the fresh Canadian winter air. 

"Everything is so invigorating here," Haley marveled, watching soft snowflakes float gracefully in the air. She stuck out her tounge and caught one.

"You're getting so hungry you're resorting to snowflakes?" Nathan joked, watching out for some type of food place. 

"They taste like chicken," she joked, winking at him. Nathan smiled, checking the time. About an hour and fifteen minutes had gone by since they had left Clay, Quinn, and Jamie at the CN Tower. 

"Actually, we should probably head back to Clay, Jamie, and Quinn now. They'll be waiting for us. We can get something to eat with them," Nathan said.

Haley nodded, and the two set off back to the CN Tower. 

*****Back With Jamie, Clay, and Quinn  
**

"And one of the floors was made of glass!"

"Wow!" Nathan exclaimed, stealing one of his son's fries as they sat at a restaurant, listening to Jamie marvel over his time at the CN Tower.

"And there was a revolving restaurant, and a lot of stairs too. When we got to the top, all I wanted to do was sleep!" 

Haley chuckled as she sipped on her water, finishing off the last of her turkey sandwich. "Didn't you do enough of that on the plane today?" 

Jamie smiled as he took another large bite of his cheeseburger. The group had decided on a small, quaint restaurant nestled in a cluster of malls and boutiques. 

"What hotel are we staying at again?" Quinn asked as she took one final slurp of her hot chocolate she had been attatched to since she ordered it. 

"The Four Seasons. It's so extravagant." Clay said proudly. 

"How long are we here, dad?" Jamie asked. Nathan shrugged. 

"We don't know, bud. However long the coaches strike is on for." 

"Which hopefully isn't long," Clay added, standing up as their waitress for that evening came back with his credit card. "Wanna head to the hotel?"

Just as Haley was nodding, she receieved a text message from Lucas. 

**Did you guys drop off the face of the earth?**

"Oops," Haley muttered as she quickly typed back to Lucas. 

**No... just the face of the United States. We're in Canada. There's a coaches strike, so Jamie, Quinn, and I flew down to visit Nathan and Clay in Canada. I'll text you when we get back? :)  
**

"Who was that?" Nathan asked as Haley slipped her phone back into her pocket. 

"Lucas, I forgot to tell him we were leaving."

Nathan nodded as they left the hotel and hopped into Clay's rental car and drove to their hotel. Jamie marveled at the snowflakes. 

"I think the snow look different here," he decided as they drove through the crowded streets. Clay had to hit his brakes every three seconds to avoid smashing into another vehicle or a pedestrian fleeting across the street illegally. 

"It's because it's Canadian snow." Quinn smiled as she too, stared at the flakes flowing gracefully through the air. 

A few minutes later, Jamie spoke again. "I don't see any igloos." he pointed out as they came to a halt at a red light. Haley had to let out a guaff. 

"There are no igloo's in Canada, Jame. Or alteast where we are in Canada." She patted his head, trying to smooth the confused expression on his face. 

"But Chuck said..." he trailed off, shaking his head, deciding on another question. "What state are we in right now?" 

Haley immediately dove into a Canadian history lesson, informing Jamie that Canada didn't have states, but provinces. 

"Oh," was all he said as they drove up to the Four Seasons hotel. Haley gasped at the size. 

"Nathan..." she trailed off as he turned from his passenger seat to give her a wink. A small smile appeared on her face as the gang got out of the car and Clay handed it over for valet parking. Nathan walked over to Haley and intertwined their fingers, leading her up the steps of the enormous hotel. 

"This is so cool, dad!" Jamie exclaimed as he trailed closely behind with Quinn. Clay was already at the front desk, sorting out the rooms and such. Once Nathan, Haley, Jamie, and Quinn reached him, he had finished with the front desk and held out two room keys. 

"One room for the Scott's, and one for us," Clay winked, wrapping his arm around Quinn's waist, and handing Nathan his room key with his other hand.

"Dibs on the king size bed!" Jamie shouted, snatching the key out of Nathan's hand and sprinting towards the elevator.

"James Lucas Scott," Haley started, her tone warning. "Get over here before I tie you to a leash." 

Jamie slowly trudged back to his parents, shuddering at the thought of being in a leash. The last time he was in one was at Lucas and Peyton's wedding, and he didn't enjoy it one bit.

When Nathan, Haley, and Jamie made it to their room on the seventh floor, Jamie gaped at the size.

"Is this a room or a suite?" Haley breated, setting down her carryon. Nathan wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into his chest as close as her stomach allowed. 

"Only the best for my best," Nathan smiled, kissing her nose softly. Haley mirrored his grin, resting her head on his chest. 

"So I know I've asked you probably a hundred times, but how are you feeling?" Nathan asked, his hands roaming Haley's back. Haley sighed at the mini back massage.

"I'm doing fine," she answered sleepily. Nathan checked the time. Eight fifteen pm.

"Bed time?" He asked. Haley opened her suddenly heavy eyelids.

"No, I'm..." 

"Don't say fine," Nathan warned, his voice half serious, half joking. Haley yawned. 

"Alright, I'm tired," she admitted, closing her eyes once again. Nathan bent down and picked her up just like he had at Nathan Phillips Square, and carried her to their bedroom, setting her down on the bed gently. 

"I feel like a baby. It's eight o'clock and I'm tired."

Nathan smiled as he rummaged through Haley's bag of things, pulling out a pair of pajamas.

"Everyone understands though," he said, handing her the pajamas. Haley nodded and slipped them on. Nathan perched in her side of the bed and cupped her face with his hand. 

"How's Brooke's pregnancy going?"

A small smile lit up Haley's face at the thought of her best friend being pregnant. "Great. I'm so happy for her."

Nathan smiled and nodded, standing up. "I'm going to go tell Clay and Quinn that we're hitting the hay. Jamie's bed time is soon, anyways, so he can watch tv in his room until he's ready for bed.

Haley nodded tiredly, just so Nathan knew she heard him. He left the room and closed the door quetly behind him. Just before Haley drifted into a deep sleep, she replayed the day's events in her head. Canada truly was a beautiful country, and she couldn't help but smile at the fact that her vacation there was just beginning.

**Hi, my name's Carrie, just incase any of you forgot.  
I'm super duper sorry I haven't updated in like, a month. You probably have all forgotten about this story.. but yeah, I've been in and out of internet connection constantly, and I haven't always had access to a computer, so I'm so sorry this hasn't come out sooner! I promise to update more often.  
But yeah... thanks for reading! :)  
**


	23. Crazy Canada

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

"It's over?"

Nathan nodded his head sadly as he rubbed Haley's back. She pouted, staring into her coffee cup that contained water. 

"But we just got here..." she trailed off, looking up as Jamie ran into the living room. He could've been the posted child for excitement and enthusiasm, the way his eyes were lit up, his lips pulled up in an enormous, exhilarated grin.

"Momma! Dad! What are we going to do today?" He smiled, his gleaming teeth showing proudly. Haley's stomach churned with guilt. She knew how much Jamie hated being taken away from Nathan. It was almost as much as she hated it. 

"Uh, actually, Jamie, the coaches strike is over." Nathan pursed his lips, his hands moving to Haley's shoulders, massaging them gently. 

Jamie's face dropped instantly as he processed his father's words. His eyes went to the floor as he fiddled with his fingers. "Oh," was all he whispered, almost inaudible.

Haley bit her lip, trying to hold back tears. Whenever she saw Jamie upset, it always got to her. "I'm really sorry, Jamie."

"Hey," Nathan interjected, his massage stopping briefly. "This isn't your fault."

Haley shrugged, turning her head up to look at Nathan. "I know," she whispered, her eyes trailing to Jamie, who was slowly walking over to a couch, his shoulders in a slouch. "I just feel bad. He wanted more time with you."

Nathan grimaced. "I know. But, we can't control this." 

Haley nodded as she chewed her bottom lip. A few minutes of relaxing into Nathans massage later, an idea popped in her head. 

"But maybe we don't have to leave..." She smiled slyly, turning to face Nathan. His eyebrows were raised. 

"What do you mean? I have to play the Raptors-"

Nathan was cut off by the shrill ring of Haley's phone. Haley sighed and dug into her pocket, clicking the talk button.

"Hello?"

_"Haley! Oh thank goodness."_

Haley's eyebrow perked at the sound of panic in Brooke's voice. "Hello to you too, Brooke."

_"Sorry tutor mom. I'm just totally way in over my head here. Can you come over?"  
_

Haley smirked. "I'm actually in Canada. Long story." She informed. Brooke's annoyed huff was audible over the line.

_"Well do you mind wasting some of your minutes on venting time? Brooke needs quality Haley time."  
_

Haley hopped off the kitchen chair she had been sitting on an gave Nathan a quick peck and a pat on the chest before she walked to the bedroom and lay down on the bed. She needed to get comfortable, talks with Brooke could last hours.

"Alright, what's wrong?"

Brooke sighed. _"Where do I start?" _Her tone was wary and exasperated. _"Well, to begin, there is this huuuge love triangle between Alex, Mia, and Chase. It's killing me."  
_

Haley interrupted transiently. "Now you know how everyone felt in high school when it was you, Peyton, and Lucas," she smirked. Brooke let out a fake quaff. 

_"Ha-ha, Hales. Anyways, I rehired Alex for the new campaign after her success with Julian's movie, and she's being a total pain in the butt because she's always complaining about Mia. I mean, I may be biased, but I think that Alex should stop butting into everyone's relationships! It only causes problems."_

Haley added a thought. "But better Chase than Julian, right?" 

_"True," _was all Brooke said. Haley bit her lip and added something else. 

"I love my Brooke talks and everything, so when I say this, it's not my way of telling you that I want to hang up...but don't you have Peyton to talk to about this now?"

_"Um, well..." _Brooke trailed off, her voice uneasy. _"We had a fight..."  
_

"Oh no!" Haley exclaimed, running her hands through her hair. "Brooke what happened?"

Brooke cleared her throat on the other end. _"Uh, she told me I wasn't handling my pregnancy properly."_

"Brooke, it's up to you on how you decide to mother this child, not Peyton." 

_"I know, I know. Which brings me to my next problem. I'm scared. I'm scared about this pregnancy, Hales." _Her breath hitched high in her throat. Haley frowned at Brooke's despair.

"It's going to be okay, Brooke." 

_"But what if it's not? I wasn't supposed to get pregnant, Haley. This wasn't supposed to happen! It wasn't __**allowed**__ to happen. But by some miracle, it did. And believe me, I am beyond greatful for it every single day. But I can't help but think that maybe there's something wrong with the baby. The baby I'm not supposed to have because I'm not even supposed to be able to be pregnant in the first place. And it scares me."_

Haley swallowed quietly. She understood Brooke's problem, but couldn't quite relate to it. But hearing the pain in her best friend's voice was enough to make her want to cry.

"You were given this baby for a reason. Don't be scared, everything will be fine." She made sure her voice didn't falter or betray her; Brooke didn't need any more reasons to be anxious.

_"Thanks, Hales. Julian's been great, too. Now that Alex is finally out of our picture, things have been going smooth. We still need to pick out a place for the wedding and the reception though, and I'm trying not to stress about it because of the baby, but time's going by so fast, and I don't want to be pregnant for my wedding, but by the time everything's done I'll be about eight or nine months pregnant! I'm seriously turning into frankenbride." _Brooke huffed. Haley sat up and ran her hand through her hair, smiling at Nathan when he appeared in the doorway. She waved him in, and he sat on the bed behind her, pulling her into his lap.

"Well how about the day I get home from Canada, I can help you start planning. That's what bridesmaids are for." Her grin widened as Nathan toyed with her hair.

Brooke cleared her throat. _"Well, uh, when are you guys coming home?"  
_

Haley's smile dissipated. "Well, the reason we're here right now is because there's a coaches strike. But it ended this morning, so I guess that we'll be getting on a flight today or tonight," she sighed longingly. 

_"Or not," _Brooke chirped. Haley could basically hear her smile through the phone.

"What? Why?" she asked, confused. A few seconds of silence later, she heard a knock on their bedroom door. Haley leaped off of Nathan's lap to answer the door, keeping her phone in the crook of her neck. 

"Brooke, what are you talking-" she said as the opened the door, revealing Brooke, Julian, Lucas, Peyton, Sawyer, Mouth, and Skills. Her jaw dropped open before she broke out into an enormous grin. 

"Surprise!" Brooke squealed, closing her cell phone and hugging Haley. Haley dropped her phone at the sight of all her friends standing in front of her, in _Canada_. 

"Oh my God!" Haley exclaimed, hugging her back with a squeeze. "What's all this about?" She asked exasperatedly, making her hugging rounds to everyone. Nathan walked up behind her and started to explain.

"Well, you know the coaches strike, Hales?" he asked, snaking his arms around her torso. Haley peered up at him and nodded.

"Well, I kinda lied. It's not over yet." He grinned so widely, his cheeks could've popped off of his face. Haley let out a sigh of pure happiness. 

"And who was the mastermind behind all of this?" She asked her crowd of friends standing in front of her. Peyton rolled her eyes jokingly.

"Who do you think? There's one person in this room that would go to the ends of the earth to make you happy." 

Haley turned to face Nathan. "Why did you do all of this?" she asked with a smile on her face. Nathan tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and gazed at her, a look of complete and total love in his eyes. 

"Because I love you," he answered simply, kissing her forehead before hearing a gagging noise. Haley glared at Lucas, the source of the gag.

"Oh shut up," she said as she released Nathan. Jamie came running up behind everyone.

"So we're not leaving?" he grinned, pushing through the crowd to get to Nathan. Nathan grinned proudly, eminent with the fact that he had planned the whole surprise. 

"Nope. Not now, at least. Your Christmas break ends in a week and a half, so hopefully you guys will have a week here. We'll see." Nathan patted his son's back. Jamie beamed up at him and nodded, running over to Sawyer. 

"Sawyer, I've gotta show you this movie I brought!" He tugged her out of the bedroom and into his room, leaving the adults alone. Haley backed into Nathan's arms so she was still facing everyone, but was also in her husband's warm hold. 

"So our phone conversation...?" She asked, looking at Brooke. Brooke smiled devilishly.

"Was a decoy. Some of the things I said in it were true, some weren't." 

Haley chuckled. "Well, evidentally your fight with Peyton wasn't true," she said, gesturing to her two best friends. Peyton smiled and let out a laugh.

"No, I think she's handling her pregnancy very well," she answered, squeezing Brooke's shoulders.

"Is the love triangle true?" Haley asked. Brooke's eyes widened at the thought of the painfully annoying love triangle back at home.

"Yes," she sighed, dropping her suitcase and taking a seat on the bed. Everyone else followed, positioning themselves on the bed, the couch beside the bed, or a few pullout chairs that were around the room. "It's exhausting," she expressed, rubbing her head with her hand. Haley nodded sympathetically, taking in all of her good friends in the room with her. The last time they had been like that was in Utah, minus Lucas and Peyton of course. She had missed being together with everyone at once.

"So, any good clubs up here in the arctic?" Skills asked, a joking tone in his voice. Everyone erupted into laughter as he dug into his suitcase to pull out his fur coat he had brought to Utah. 

"And I thought it was cold in Utah," he chuckled as he pulled in his coat, showing it off to Lucas and Peyton, since they hadn't seen it before. "It's probably twenty degrees colder here!" 

"That is one amazing coat, Skills," Lucas appraised. Skills nodded, snuggling deeper into it. 

All of a sudden, Brooke gasped. 

"It's kicking again!" She squeaked, grabbing Julian's hand and placing it on her stomach. Everyone's head's snapped in Brooke's direction, and in a matter of seconds, seven pairs of hands smothered her stomach.

"Amazing," Julian breathed. Everyone slowly started removing their hands from her slightly swollen tummy. 

"It's a great feeling, huh Julian?" Nathan asked as Julian tucked Brooke under her arm and kissed her temple excitedly, while tears welled in her eyes. 

"Yeah, it's amazing!" 

"And how's both of your little ones, Hales?" Peyton asked, eyeing Haley's growing stomach. It wasn't huge yet, but it was definitely starting to bulge. She was going to need maternity clothes soon. 

"They're doing wonderful," she grinned, squeezing Nathan's hand.

"You guys must be so excited," Mouth grinned, studying two of his best friends. Haley was sitting on Nathan's lap once again, her hand in his. They had similar expressions on their face; relaxed and at peace. He remembered the hardships they both had faced this past year; the whole Renee situation, Nathan almost losing his spot on the Bobcats, and Lydia's death. He wondered why life never gave them a break. Everything difficult always got thrown in their direction. But watching them sit in front of him, he knew that life had given both of them a break. The moment they found each other _was_ their break. 

"We are, very much," Nathan beamed. "It just sucks that I'm gone half the time." 

Brooke nodded, speaking up. "Yeah, I don't know what I would be able to do without Julian here," she patted his chest before looking at Haley. "Hales, I've told you that while Nathan's gone, if you need _anything_, I'm here, right?" 

Haley smiled at her best friend before her other best friend spoke up. "Yeah, us too, Hales." Lucas said. Haley nodded as everyone in the room started telling her they would be there. They all knew that she still wasn't one hundred percent better from her mother's death, so without Nathan, she would need a lot of support.

"I know, guys. Thank you all." She looked at Brooke. "Don't be worrying about me, Brooke. You have yourself to worry about." Her gaze then trailed to the rest of the gang. "As for everyone else, I _expect_ you all to be worrying about me," she winked as everyone laughed at her joke. 

"I remember before you had J Luke, I said I'd always have your kid's back. And that goes for these two, too," Skills reminded Haley. Haley had a quick flashback to the class in senior year where her and Skills had to ask each other questions on the roof. She hadn't spent a lot of time with him lately, and speaking with him then, she realized how much she missed him. 

"Thanks, Skills." She smiled. "But enough about me! How's everyone else?" 

So the conversation went on, until lunch time rolled around and Jamie and Sawyer came into the room, complaining about being hungry. Everyone who had just arrived went to their rooms to unpack, and the group met up at a restaurant on one of the city's streets for a nice lunch. 

*****After Lunch**

"What to do... what to do," Clay pondered, tapping his chin while inspecting his map. Everyone stood around him, looking for places they wanted to go, things they wanted to see.

"I say we go to the Eaton Centre!" Quinn exclaimed, clapping her hands together. Everyone took a moment to consider.

"That's that big ass mall, right?" Skills asked. Quinn nodded her head excitedly. 

"I read about it _everywhere_ online. It supposedly has five floors!" She informed.

"Well, why not?" Peyton said, taking Sawyer's hand in hers.

"How do we get there?" Mouth asked, scanning the streets for some kind of bus. Lucas tapped a subway station route on the map Clay was holding out. 

"On one of my book tours, I took the subway to it. One of the stops is right inside the mall."

Haley raised an eyebrow. "Would that be the quickest way?"

Lucas pressed his lips together and nodded. "Yeah, I mean, all we need to do is find a subway station."

*****Twenty Minutes Later  
**

"Dang, where are we again?" Skills said, whipping his head in each direction, as did the rest of the gang. Clay dropped his hands to the side.

"I can't believe I gave away the map," he sighed frustratedly, thinking back about ten minutes when an astray and frantic looking woman had come up to the group, asking them if anyone had a map. Since Clay had thought he knew which way the subway station was, he had given up the map to help a person in need. And was completely regretting it ten minutes after.

"Does anyone have any clue where we are?" Haley asked, groaning quietly. Nathan walked over to her.

"What's wrong?" he asked discreetly while everyone else trudged aimlessly around the alleyway they were in.

"Nothing," she smiled slightly, trying to hide the fact that her lower back was actually quite sore.

"I don't believe you," he stated. He always knew when something was up with her. It was an instinct by now. 

Haley sighed. "My back is just a bit sore. That's all. I'm okay." She cupped his cheek with her hand briefly, before turning to face their friends. 

"Alright, guys!" she exclaimed loudly, catching everyone's attention. "We have two pregnant ladies on board. There's no way we're getting lost today!" She proclaimed strongly, pumping her fist in the air. 

"I second that!" Brooke chirped, placing a hand on her baby bump. 

"But we have no idea where we are, Momma." Jamie said.

"Yeah, I mean, I don't even see the end of the alley we're in." Julian said, his hand over his eyes. Haley shrugged.

"We're in an alleyway, there must be a way out..." she stalked in the opposite direction, searching for the end of the alley. Nathan followed cautiously behind her, keeping a five meter distance. If Haley did find a way out, he knew she would want to take all the credit.

After slowly increasing the distance between him and Haley, he looked back at the group, who was about seventy meters behind, almost out of eye shot in the mist and gloom. The sky was overcast, making the already creepy alleyway more spooky to Nathan. He turned his focus back to Haley, who was now almost twenty meters ahead of him. She could see the end of the alley was coming up, so she jogged towards the opening.

"Hey guys! I found the end of the all-" She suddenly stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes widening. Nathan inhaled slowly, gauging Haley's expression. Her eyes were quickly taken over by horror. Her hands flew to her stomach, a known reflex reaction. Nathan broke out into a sprint and reached Haley in a matter of seconds. 

"Hales, what's wrong?" He whipped his eyes in the direction she was staring at, only to see a man holding a knife to a woman's throat. Nathan gasped, just as Haley had, before he moved protectively in front of her, wrapping one arm around her torso, holding the other one out in front of himself. He inspected the terror in the poor woman's eyes for a split second as the haunting man inched the knife close and closer... 

"HEY!" Nathan called out, his voice booming. The man and the woman looked up abruptly, the knife retreating a few inches. A few tears trickled down the lady's face at the sight of a possible rescue. 

"You'd better put that knife down!" He shouted, rage in his eyes. He quickly whispered to Haley, "call 911." 

"What are you going to do?" The man chuckled coldly.

"I'm going to call the cops," he stated strongly, taking a quick peek at Haley. She was whispering into her phone, almost inaudible.

"Ooh, I'm so scared," the man said, twirling the knife in his hands. Nathan gulped down a lump in his throat as he quickly scanned the area. They had somehow made their way to the projects it seemed, as his eyes gazed over the tiny houses and the broken down cars. No one was in sight. It was just Nathan, Haley, the man and the woman. He moved his eyes to the alleyway where they had come from. Maybe one of his friends was coming. But the fog had seemed to cloud his vision even more, until he could see only five meters down the alley. 

"Don't worry, Ma'am. We're going to get you help," Haley said shakily around Nathan's shoulder. Nathan's grip tightened on Haley after she spoke. The woman's eyes flashed to Haley for a split second, a look of relief in them. But then the man inched the knife closer to the woman, and the terror returned. Nathan was just about to let go of Haley to pummel the man when the sounds of sirens crashed the tension.

Haley relaxed in Nathan's arms as three police officers emerged from the cars that had surrounded the area. The man dropped the knife, his boastful demeanour shifting to panicked as his chest pumped up and down quickly with aghast. The woman stumbled backwards, away from the man while a police officer came and handcuffed him. Nathan pulled Haley tightly to his side, covering her eyes as the man struggled fiercely with the cops.

"Ma'am? Sir?" A cop came up to Nathan and Haley. Nathan removed his hand over her eyes but kept his arm wrapped securely around her body. "Would you mind if I asked you two a few questions?" 

Nathan and Haley nodded simultaneously. The cop eyed them and began. 

"What did you see happening? You're the one who called us, I assume." He gestured to Haley. Haley nodded again. 

"Yeah, um, I was walking down to the end of the alley and saw the man holding a knife to the poor woman's throat. Then Nathan, my husband, came up and I called you guys." 

The office nodded, scratching down notes on his notepad. "Okay, thank you." He turned on his heel and stalked away. Haley looked up at Nathan. 

"Thank you," she breathed, leaning her forehead against his chest. Nathan kissed the top of her head tenderly.

"For?" 

"Saving that lady," Haley said, her eyes moving away from Nathan's to land on the mysterious lady. She was walking away after talking with the same cop that had just talked with them, tear tracks stained on her cheeks. She was an older woman, probably verging on sixty five. She had soft features; big blue eyes, a little button nose, and pointy lips. Haley untangled herself from Nathan and walked over to her.

"Hi, are you okay?" She asked, touching the woman's arm. She looked at Haley, fear still in her eyes.

"Oh my goodness, thank you!" She said exasperatedly, hugging Haley. Haley raised her eyebrows and chuckled at the woman's forwardness. "I'm Sadie." 

"I'm Haley. What happened exactly?" 

Sadie shifted her weight and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm new to Canada. It's my first day of work, and I got lost on the way to the General Hospital. I'm a nurse. And then I just got attacked by this man," she shook her head. "He demanded for my purse, and when I denied and tried to fight him off, he...he pulled out the knife." 

Haley put her hand to her forehead and sighed. "I'm so sorry that had to happen to you, Sadie."

Sadie smiled slightly. "Well, you saved my life, so thank you. Really. Words can't express how grateful I am." 

Haley shrugged. "It wasn't really me. More my husband." She looked over her shoulder at Nathan, who was looking down the alleyway, searching for everyone else. "Nathan," she called, waving him over. Nathan smiled at Haley and Sadie, walking over to stand beside Haley. 

"Nathan," he introduced, holding his hand out. Sadie shook it and blushed. 

"I'm Sadie. Thank you for saving me, Nathan." 

Nathan nodded his head and grinned. "No problem. Glad you're okay."

Sadie looked at the ground. "Well, I'd better go, let you two get back to your lives. If you guys need any favour, at _all_, call me, okay? I owe you guys one. Here's my number." She gave Haley her card and backed away, getting into a police car so they could drive her to her work. 

"Well, she was nice," Haley said, linking her left arm with Nathan's right. "It's a shame that she had to be attacked like that. Those type of events can stay with you for a long time," she shuddered, resting the side of her head against Nathan's upper arm. 

"Yeah," Nathan sighed. "Well, I guess we'd better get back to everyone. They're probably wondering where we are."

*****Back With Everyone **

****The couple arrived back to a very worried looking group. They all sighed once they came into eyesight. 

"Where were you guys? You were gone for like ten minutes," Clay said, patting Jamie's head. 

"We kind of ran into... well, long story. Anyone find a way out?" Nathan asked. Brooke shook her head dejectedly. 

"I've come to the conclusion that we're all going to freeze to death here." 

"Hey, at least we're all together," Quinn said lightheartedly. Brooke shrugged and snuggled closer into Julian. 

"Well, I think we should get out of here as fast as possible, it's unsafe," Nathan said, taking hold of Haley's hand in one of his, and Jamie's in the other.

"If it were that simple, Nate, we would've done it a while ago," Clay huffed frustratedly, rubbing his hands together for warmth. 

Nathan shrugged. "Let's just keep walking that way." He pointed in the opposite direction from where him and Haley had seen the man with the knife. 

"If you get us out of here and to the Eaton Centre, Nathan, Clay has to give you your title of 'The Human Compass' back," Quinn decided. Everyone chuckled and trudged through the snow, praying that they would find their way back to the main city before dawn broke. 

*****Fifteen Minutes Later **

"Hot chocolatttttte," Brooke breathed, running to the Starbucks inside the Eaton Centre. Everyone but Nathan and Clay followed suit, rushing to get a hot chocolate in their frozen hands.

"I've gotta give it to you, Nate," Clay sighed. "You got us here." 

"Of course I did," Nathan smiled, slapping him on the shoulder. 

"But it did take you fifteen minutes..." 

"Whoa there. I didn't know I was being timed." 

Clay shrugged. "Do better next time, Human Compass." Flashing his famous boyish grin, he walked up behind Quinn, enclosing her in a tight hug. Nathan chuckled to himself as he realized that there was actually a time when Clay and Quinn were reluctant to show PDA in front of him or Haley. 

"Can we go to the video game store, dad?" Jamie squeaked when Nathan got into earshot. He gripped his hot chocolate excitedly as he took in his surroundings. He had never been to a mall that big in his whole seven years of existence. 

Nathan grinned back at his son. "Sure thing, bud." 

Brooke turned to Haley. "Hales, we should totally get in some maternity wear shopping while we're here! And baby clothes shopping!"

Haley crinkled her nose and giggled at Brooke's enthusiasm. "Brooke, you know things are more expensive here in Canada?" 

Brooke raised her eyebrows as if Haley had just told her some completely ridiculous notion. "So? You probably carry like two million dollars in your wallet thanks to Nathan's NBA career and your singing career." 

Peyton raised her hand. "I'm coming with you guys." 

Julian inched away from Brooke slowly. "Count me out. I think this is strictly girls only. I'll go to the video game store with Jamie and Nathan."

Lucas nodded his head sheepishly. "Me too." 

"Well, look how easily we can get rid of our men," Brooke said humorously, linking one of her arms in Haley's, the other one in Peyton's. "Let's go girls. Quinn, you coming?"

Quinn's hold tightened on Clay's hand. "Um, I think I'll just explore with Clay. You guys have fun though!" 

Brooke nodded as she shot a glance at Mouth and Skills. They put their hands up defensively at her look. "Two pregnant, hormonal, women shopping _together_. No thanks," Mouth smiled helplessly as him and Skills made a head start down to EB Games. Nathan shrugged as he walked over to Haley and kissed her quickly. 

"Pick out some sexy maternity clothes," he whispered roughly in her ear after he pulled away. Peyton smacked his shoulder. 

"That's gross, Scott. Go away."

Nathan just winked at Haley before he set off for a day of shopping with his son and his two friends.

*****With Haley, Peyton, and Brooke**

"Oh, honey. Red is _not_ your colour."

Haley sighed, fiddling with the hem of the loose red maternity top. "Really? I kinda like it." 

Peyton shrugged. "I mean if you like it, then you should get-"

"No," Brooke interrupted, putting a hand in front of Peyton's face to silence her words. "I'm not going to let our Tutor Mom walk around looking like an apple or a tomato or whatever." She walked away from her two best friends briskly, searching through shirts with a certain gusto. Haley stood sheepishly in the doorway of her dressing room as Brooke returned with a new clothing item.

"Here," she said, handing it to Haley. "Purple suits your skin tone wonderfully. I promise you'll like this one," she smiled proudly, lightly pushing Haley back into the change room. A few moments later, Haley opened the door just a crack.

"WIll I be harassed this time?" She asked, sticking her head through the crack. Brooke rolled her eyes, gripping Haley's forearm and pulling her out fully. The purple shirt accentuated her bulging stomach perfectly, while leaving breathing room. Brooke nodded. 

"Now that's more like it!" 

Peyton grinned. "I really like it, Hales." 

Haley tugged the bottom of the shirt out and inspected it for a moment. "Yeah... so do I! Let's get it," she said, a cute smile adorning her face. Brooke turned on her heel, stalking away. 

"Where are you going, Brooke?" Peyton called. Brooke stopped and turned around. "To go get my clothes to try on. My turn!" 

Haley and Peyton looked at eachother for a few seconds before breaking out into fits of giggles when they saw Brooke lead a poor salesman to her dressing room. His arms were stretched out infront of him, heaps of clothes weighing them down. 

"Just drop them on the bench," Brooke instructed, shooing him out after he had done his job. He gave Peyton and Haley a helpless look before returning to his job. Haley and Peyton took a seat on the couches right outside the room. This was going to take a while. 

*****With Nathan, Julian, Skills, Mouth, and Jamie  
**

"Call of Duty is definitely the way to go." 

"No, Gears of War."

"No, Call of Duty is so much better." 

"No, I'm pretty sure Gears of Way is better." 

"Guys!" Jamie glared at Nathan and Lucas, putting a finger over his mouth to silence the bickering. Nathan shrugged when Lucas raised an eyebrow at Jamie's sudden irritation. He was about to open his mouth to speak when he got a text from Haley.

**I love Brooke, but she's driving me and Peyton insaaaane. We've been here for forty minutes watching her try on maternity clothes! Save me!**

Nathan chuckled, slipping his phone back in his pocket. 

"Alright, since my Gears of War clearly isn't appreciated here, I'm going to go find Haley and do something more fun with her," Nathan said. "Keep an eye on Jame," he added to the four men. As he was leaving, Lucas caught up to him.

"Wait, I'm coming." 

Nathan nodded at his brother's presence beside him. "Got a helpless text from Peyton about Brooke and maternity clothes?"

Lucas chuckled. "Yup." 

*****Back With The Girls**

"Oh thank God," Haley breathed, instantly relaxing at Nathan's presence. She got up, slowly, cringing as her lower back cracked loudly. 

"Ouch, that sounded painful," Lucas said, eyeing Haley. Nathan took her into his arms, rubbing the painful spots on her back. 

"I forgot about your back. It's evidentally not good," he enquired. "Maybe we should go see a doctor."

Haley shook her head. "I'm okay. Maybe an Advil would help, though." 

Nathan dug into his pocket and pulled out one tiny red Advil pill in a plastic baggy that had obviously been through a lot of trauma, the way it was crinkled and torn messily. Haley took it hastily and gulped it down with a quick swig of water. 

"Thank you," she said, kissing him quickly. 

"So I'm thinking I like the hem on this one." Brooke stepped out of the dressing room, raising her eyebrows at the sight of Lucas and Nathan. 

"Oh... hi." she said sheepishly. Lucas and Nathan waved awkwardly.

"Well, how about we get out of here Hales?" he suggested, interlocking their fingers. Haley sent him a quick 'thank you' glance.

"That's probably a good idea. Sorry, Brooke!" She smiled apologetically at her best friend, who had a frown pulling down her lips, and left the store with Nathan to have some quality alone time.

*****One Hour Later**

"Haley, Haley!"

"Oh, thank God."

Haley looked up groggily and peered around the mysterious room she was in. Everything was so white.

"Where am I?" She asked, her voice thick. Nathan kissed her forehead repeatedly. She blinked her eyes a couple times before blurred visions of everyone else in the room became clear. She pointed at one girl in particular. 

"...Sadie?"

Sadie smiled sadly at her. "Hi, Haley. Nathan called me and we got you in here as fast as we could." 

Haley shook her head, confusion in her eyes. "What happened?" Her eyes flew to Nathan, who had tears threatening to well over. 

"It's not really what _happened_, to what's _going_ to happen." she said, the same sympathetic look in her features. 

"What's _going t_o happen?" Haley demanded, getting frustrated. 

"Haley, you might lose one of your babies." 

**Oh jeeze, I seriously think that's my longest chapter yet! I didn't know how to finish it aha, so it kept dragging on and onnnnn and onnnnnnnnnnnnn.  
But yeah.. there you go!  
Updates will be less frequent because of school, senior year! Yikes haha. So I hope you all will still read it even though it'll take me forever to update aha.  
Lastly, ONE TREE HILL SEASON 8 PREMIERED TODAY!  
And I gotta say... it was freaking AWESOME. They had the opening credits back and all the Naley scenes were long and SO cute and gah! I could go on and on talking about this, but I'll just end it there. :D  
Thanks for reading! :)**


	24. Surgery

**Okay, I apologize in advance for some missing quotations in some of the dialogue. I used a different word program, and when I uploaded the file onto here, it took away like, 3/4's of the quotation marks... Oo. Don't ask me why, haha. So yeah, I think I caught most of them, but I probably missed a few... sorry! :$**

**Disclaimer: I don't own OTH. Or anything, haha. **

**Summary: **_**Nathan nodded and left the room, taking one last look at Haley. He swallowed back the lump that was rising in his throat, and went to join his friends. **_

In her heaven, she was with Nathan.

Swaying softly in the rain, he held her tightly in her arms, and she felt secure. Safe. Like nothing or no one could touch her. They mumbled meaningful words in each other's ears, a feeling of euphoria setting in as the rain increased.

"This is a dream," she muttered, her voice velvet in his ears. He smiled down at her before placing a loving kiss on her forehead.

"This is perfect," he whispered huskily, twirling her out of his arms, before pulling her safely back in. "Promise you'll never leave me?"

Haley chuckled, the humble grin on her face widening. "I promise, I'll never leave you Nath-"

Her breath hitched high in her throat as she immediately stepped out of his arms, her hands moving to clutch her chest. Nathan raised and eyebrow and reopened his arms, inviting her back in.

"I can't-" she wheezed, widening her eyes at Nathan, who kept the same dumbfounded expression on his face. "I can't...breathe!" she finished, her breath coming out in little puffs. Nathan's brow furrowed.

"You can't breathe? Wow, that sucks."

Her heart rate accelerated as she desperately gasped for air, holding onto any last light of hope.

And then it went black.

**NHNHNHNHNHNHNHNH**

"...Could be possible blockage of oxygen to the brain..."

"...Foodborne illnesses are common when visiting a different country..."

"...That Advil probably pushed her over the edge..."

Haley's ears were open and alert, but she couldn't find the strength to open her eyes. She wondered where she was, and what nonsense the people around her were blabbering about. She felt content enough with lying in the comfortable position she was in and not opening her eyes and just listening to the buzzing of everyone's voices around her. It kept her amused and awake.

But then she heard his voice.

"She's going to be okay though, right? She's going to open her eyes? She _has_ to open her eyes."

Haley internally cringed at the heartbreaking tone of Nathan's desperate voice. He was hurting because of her. She didn't know _why_, but he was. And she never wanted to do that to him. So she tried opening her eyes to give him some comfort and affirmation that she was just fine, but somehow, she couldn't. She used all her strength, but couldn't open her eyes. She tried to at least take a deep breath, but it felt like her lungs had suddenly shrunk in size. The entertaining voices suddenly became murmurs in the background, and soon enough, she was slipping in and out of consciousness, trying to hold onto reality, but failing as soon as she fell back into the darkness, and back into her heaven with Nathan.

*****With Nathan**

"Nathan!"

Nathan trudged down the hallway of the Canadian hospital, being swarmed by his friends as soon as he came into their sight.

"Is she okay? Oh God, is she okay?" Lucas asked, his voice full of despair. Nathan looked at him through sorrowful eyes, answering any questions his brother had.

"Oh no..." he trailed off, taking a seat in one of the chairs before his legs gave out. A few tears trickled down Brooke's eyes as she watched Nathan move to sit down beside Lucas, his legs shaking with every step.

"What happened exactly again?" Lucas asked, his head in his hands. Nathan's lips quivered.

"She...she passed out in the change room at one of the stores we went into after we left you guys at the maternity store-"

"No...no," Quinn whispered, tears building up. "This is the second time she's fainted in the pregnancy."

Nathan moved his head up and down slowly. "I know. I didn't know what to do, so I called Sadie, who got paramedics on sight faster than they would have if I had called 911."

"Wait," Peyton interrupted. "Who's Sadie?"

"This nurse we met. Long story. She owed us a favour." Nathan shook his head frustratedly as everyone around him raised their eyebrows. They just didn't understand.

"Go on," Julian ushered.

Nathan sucked in an uncertain breath and got up from the chair so he could face everyone. "She just, she was having a hard time breathing and they had to hook her up to a bunch of oxygen tanks and put her out while they took a look in her lungs."

"But **why**." Lucas pressed, speaking through gritted teeth. "Why is she having trouble breathing?"

"I don't know!" Nathan exclaimed fretfully, tears welling up in his eyes. Lucas shook his head and returned to staring at the floor, his hands plastered together under his chin. Nathan ran a frustrated hand through his dishevelled hair. "I don't know, okay! They also said that she could...we could...oh God I can't even say it." His legs crumbled beneath him and he fell to the floor, face in hands. Clay walked over to him and sat down beside him, patting his shoulder.

"She'll be okay, Nate," he soothed. Nathan grunted, wiping away tears.

"That's not what I was trying to say." He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "The doctors said that with the lack of oxygen, she could lose one of the babies."

He choked out the last part, shielding his face from the curious onlookers. Brooke and Peyton gasped simultaneously as tears sprung up in their own eyes.

All of a sudden, Nathan's head snapped up.

"Where's Jamie?" he demanded, whipping his head around the lobby. His innocent little son was nowhere in sight.

"With Skills and Mouth. Sawyer's with them too. We thought we should keep them away from this," Brooke said softly, her hand on her heart. Nathan relaxed slightly as he nodded his head.

"You should get something to eat, Nate," Clay said, heaving himself off the floor. Nathan stared up at him blankly before shaking his head.

"No. I'm going back to see Haley." He shakily got up from his position on the floor, and tried to retain composure as he walked back into Haley's room. Everyone stared longingly in his direction as he took a long sigh before gravely opening the door to Haley's room. He needed her.

*****With Jamie, Skills, Mouth, and Sawyer  
**

"This is _so_ cool, Skills! The Stanley Cup!"

Skills walked over to Jamie and grinned. "Some serious bling bling, for real."

"Who knew you were a hockey guy, Jame?" Mouth commented, keeping an eye on Sawyer as she played with a mini hockey stick. He was glad they were enjoying the Hockey Hall of Fame. It would keep them distracted until him or Skills got an update from the hospital.

"Well, what else am I going to watch during commercials for dad's basketball games?"

Mouth chuckled. "True."

"Where's mommy?" Sawyer asked, the innocence in her voice taking a blow at Mouth's heart. He hated lying to them.

"Uh, she's just out with everyone else," he lied, rubbing the stubble on his chin. Jamie jerked his head up from his gaze on the Stanley Cup and cocked an eyebrow.

"Why are you guys stuck watching us? Why can't our parents do it?"

Skills watched Mouth uneasily as he prepared for another lie. "We love you guys, why wouldn't we want to hang with you two?" he said, as enthusiastically as possible. Skills' eyes moved to Jamie. He always had a million questions. Him and Mouth weren't off the hook yet.

"But wouldn't you much rather be with the adults?" Suspicion coloured the seven year old's voice. Mouth internally sighed.

"Of course not, Jame! Okay, who's up for a picture with the cup?" he tried, desperately needing to change the subject.

"I'm just going to call my mom," Jamie said, his voice stubborn. He dug through his pockets and drew out his phone, clicking through to get to Haley's number.

"No!" Skills exclaimed, snatching the phone from him. Jamie's eyes widened as Skills quickly thought of a reason for his outburst. "...no...no...phone's allowed in the Hockey Hall of Fame! You know that rule, right?" he said, knowing it was a lame cover. Jamie shook his head slowly.

"No, I didn't."

Skills bit his bottom lip. "Well, I'm just going to have to, uh, keep this phone from you for the rest of the time here."

"Skills!" Jamie exclaimed, his eyes widening. "That's not fair!"

"You'll get it back later," Skills said, giving him a mental high five for dodging the touchy subject of Nathan and Haley. He did feel bad for having to confiscate Jamie's phone though. It's not like the kid did anything wrong.

"Ugh," Jamie grunted. "Fine. Let's go to another room."

Mouth patted Skills' back as they walked behind the two children, hoping they would make it through the day before having to come clean.

*****At The Hospital **

"I am so nervous right now," Brooke admitted, rubbing her temples. Julian gripped onto her hand tighter.

"You shouldn't worry, Brooke. Bad for the baby," he whispered in her ear, kissing it gently. Brooke gazed up at him and nodded.

"I know," she breathed. "It's just hard that when your best friend for eight years keeps slipping in and out of consciousness during her pregnancy."

Peyton let out an uneasy sigh. "This isn't fair. This isn't supposed to happen." She rubbed Lucas' back as he nodded in agreement.

"We should've come home, Peyton."

"What?" Peyton asked, staring into her husband's blue eyes. He squinted and blinked away tears.

"We should've come back to Tree Hill. Actually, we never should have left in the first place. We would've had more time with her, instead of just a few days. Maybe we could've helped her somehow... in some way."

Peyton let out a shaky breath. "I know," was all she could come up with before she rummaged through her purse and pulled out her sketchbook. She grabbed a marker and started drawing fiercely, unleashing all her anger and anxiety.

"I feel so bad for Nate," Clay said, his eyes flickering towards Haley's room. "Iwonder how he's doing in there."

Quinn nodded. "I wonder how _she's _doing in there."

*****With Nathan**

"Wait a minute, can you repeat yourself? Did you just say _brain damage_?"

The doctor looked at Nathan with serious eyes. "Yes, son. We found that her lungs are inflamed and swollen, an allergic reaction to something she consumed. Without the oxygen circulating to her brain and the babies brains, any three of them could have brain damage, but most likely one of the babies if we don't operate soon."

Nathan sat down on the chair and stared at Haley. "You mean she's going to have to undergo surgery, when she's not conscious?" His voice was almost mad. The doctor put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"It's better that she's not conscious, for we can't give her any sedatives or painkillers because of the pregnancy."

"And if she wakes up during the surgery?" Nathan challenged, his eyes never leaving Haley.

"We can put her out with some gas, but we can't give her that right now since she isn't breathing on her own."

Nathan's lip quivered as he truly noticed all the wires hooked up around his wife, all leading to her nose or mouth any opening to get oxygen into her system.

"I don't think this is a good idea," he whispered. The doctor sighed heavily.

"The bottom line is, Nathan, either we're going to have to wait for the inflammation in her lungs to go down, which could take weeks, or we could operate right now, and have it done in a matter of hours."

Nathan bit his lip. "What are the chances that she could...you know..."

"The chances of Haley dying are slim to none. But-"

Nathan's head snapped up. "But?"

"_But_," the doctor continued, "the chances of your babies surviving are decreasing with every second. They _need_ the oxygen, Nathan. So it's up to you, but please make a decision fast."

Nathan ran his fingers through his hair as his eyes moved back to Haley. She looked so pale and lifeless. His eyes trailed down to her bulging stomach and in that instant, he knew what to do.

"Get her in surgery, fix her lungs, and get her and my babies back to me as fast as you can," he said, kissing Haley's forehead tenderly before he shook the doctors hand.

"No worries, Nathan. Haley and your babies will be okay. The surgery should be done in about four hours."

Nathan nodded and left the room, taking one last look at Haley. He swallowed back the lump that was rising in his throat, and went to join his friends.

*****2 Hours Later  
**

"Go fish."

Clay sighed. "Don't lie to me, Quinn. I know you have an seven of hearts in there."

Quinn gasped. "No I don't! Now go fish!"

Nathan tried to crack a smile when Clay shot a helpless look in his direction, but he couldn't. The extent of the emotions he had felt in the past two hours could be narrowed down to two. Nervousness and anxiety.

"Nate, I got you some coffee," Lucas said, sliding back down into the chair beside his brother. Nathan accepted the warm drink and kept his eyes trained in front of him, trying to focus on Haley getting out of surgery.

"She's going to be okay, little bro," Lucas tried, patting his brother's slouched shoulders. Nathan just shook his head.

"You can say that, but imagine if Peyton was the one in there." His words were disjointed and unstable. He had barely been holding it together after he watched Haley's pale body being wheeled into surgery, but he couldn't anymore. Just the thought of being _away _from her brought tears to his eyes. Losing her for good? A whole other story.

"It'll be okay, Nate," Lucas whispered as he watched the tears come pouring down Nathan's face. Clay and Quinn's heads snapped up from their card game as they heard the sobs ripping from his chest. Brooke closed her eyes, trying to contain her own tears while Peyton leaned her head into Lucas' shoulder, unleashing her emotions onto his white t-shirt.

"You don't know that!" Nathan exclaimed, the anger and sadness evident in his booming voice. Patients and people in the waiting lobby peered over at him questioningly.

"Haley has ALWAYS been there for me, okay? Every step of the way, she's been there. She was the only one who kept me sane when Clay was in the hospital!" He gestured towards his agent and best friend. Clay set down his cards and walked over to Nathan.

"Nate, calm down, please."

Nathan's eyes widened as Clay's words ran through his head. Did he just tell him to calm down? He did _not_ just tell him to calm down!

"NO!" Nathan shouted, causing Clay to cringe at the intensity of his voice. "I will not calm down! My wife has been slipping in and out of comas all day long, our two babies might not survive, hell, HALEY might not survive! I know you lost your wife Clay, so you _think_ you know what I'm feeling, but it's different!" Nathan stood up and ran his hand over his mouth, trying to contain the salty tears streaming down his face.

Clay closed his eyes and took a deep breath before responding. "Yeah, it _is_ different. Because Haley has a good chance of living, while Sarah is **gone**. Forever." He spat out the last word, trying to contain the emotion that was bubbling through him. Nathan shook his head.

"**No**, it's different because Sarah was gone in an instant. You didn't have time to think about what life would be like without her! This problem is killing _three_ lives slowly. THREE! I'm not trying to be disrespectful, because I know the loss of Sarah still hurts you," he took a breath, "and I'm really sorry for that, but, it's just... it's different this time!"

Nathan stormed out of the waiting room, his index finger and thumb pinching the bridge of his nose. Clay let out a long breath and went to sit back down across from Quinn.

"Haley **needs** to wake up. That man _cannot _live without her."

*****With Mouth and Jamie**

"Mouth, where's my momma and dad?" Jamie asked as Mouth tucked him into bed. Mouth sighed. It had been almost four hours since he got a text from Lucas indicating that Haley was going into surgery, and he knew he couldn't cover for much longer. Jamie was going to need to know the truth eventually.

But, he needed just _one _more lie, to last him until the morning.

"They're going to stay out a bit longer, you can see them in the morning." Mouth gulped back the lump in his throat that was quickly rising. The innocence in Jamie's face didn't make this situation any easier.

"Oh, okay," he sighed. "I wish I could at least call them. Skills still hasn't given me my phone back!"

Mouth chuckled. "We will in the morning, okay? I'll be out in the TV room, so just come out of you need anything." Mouth patted Jamie's shoulder and kissed his forehead. "Goodnight, Jame."

Jamie grinned tiredly. "Night, Mouth."

*****Back At The Hospital  
**

"She should be out by now," Nathan whispered to Lucas. Everyone else had gone back to the hotel by that point. And Nathan didn't blame them, it was a little bit after midnight, and they had a long day. It was hard to believe that just that morning, he had been lost in the alleyway and had met Sadie.

"They'll come out when it's done," Lucas replied, rubbing his eyes. He was trying his hardest to stay awake, for he too wanted to be up when Haley got out of surgery.

"I didn't tell her I love her."

Lucas moved his gaze to Nathan and sighed. "What are you talking about, Nate? Of _course _she knows you love her."

Nathan shook his head, ran his hands through his hair for the hundredth time that day, and bit back tears. "I didn't tell her before she passed out. I'm pretty sure my last words to her were, 'I need more brown shirts'."

"Nathan, stop beating yourself up over this."

"I just... I can't," he heaved.

All of a sudden, he heard a small voice say his name.

"Nathan?" Sadie said, holding her clipboard out in front of herself. Nathan's head snapped up and in one fluid motion, he was at Sadie's side.

"Is she okay? Is she breathing? Is she out of surgery? Are the babies okay? Are they breathing? Does anyone have brain damage?" The words couldn't seem to fall out of his mouth fast enough. Sadie looked at him through soft eyes and took his wrist, leading him to Haley's room. Nathan shot Lucas a wary glance before facing Haley again.

And when he saw her, he gasped.

She somehow looked worse than before she went into surgery. Her lips were almost a light shade of blue, and her skin was more pale than before. Wires were hooked up to her from every which way, and there was an oxygen mask covering the bottom half of her face.

The tears instantly fell from Nathan's eyes as he stumbled over to her bedside and fell to the floor, taking her cold, lifeless hand in his.

"Nathan," Sadie whispered, slowly walking over to him. He didn't budge as she placed her hand awkwardly on his shoulder, consoling him.

"She looks sick," was all he could choke out, his words muffled from his face being buried in the soft sheets of the hospital bed.

"She's not sick," Sadie corrected. Nathan made an effort to turn back and glare at her. He gestured towards Haley's limp body.

"Looks pretty effing sick to me," he mumbled. If it wasn't for the slight rise and fall of Haley's chest, he would be certain she was... gone.

"Nathan, let Dr. Opacta explain it to you."

Nathan looked up again as the doctor from earlier walked in the room. He gave a small smile to Nathan, but just got a blank stare in return.

"Nathan, Haley is probably going to be fine, and-"

"Probably?" Nathan fumed, his face getting hot. "You keep giving me these half-ass answers and I think at least **I** deserve a full one! I _need_ to know if my wife is going to live or not, **alright**?"

Dr. Opacta nodded. "Nathan, I wish I could give you a full answer, but I can't. I'm not a mind reader, or a future-seer. I can't tell you if she's going to wake up in five minutes, or in five weeks-"

Nathan cringed at the thought of Haley being unconscious for that long.

"She has a very high survival rate, and so do your babies. She looks so pale and feels so cold right now because she just got out of surgery. Nobody looks great after hours of surgery. Right now though, I think you need to go home and rest."

Nathan shook his head fiercely. "I am not leaving my wife." More tears spurted down his face as he slowly turned back to face Haley. Dr. Opacta sighed and shrugged his shoulders.

"Contact me when she wakes up," he said quietly, leaving Nathan and Haley alone. Nathan shakily got to his knees and kissed Haley's forehead, leaving his lips placed there for a moment. After a few seconds, he knew what he had to do. He had been in enough situations with unconscious people to know what doctor's suggested. Talk to the patient.

"Hey, baby," he started off, his voice cracking from the extreme sadness he was feeling, deep into his core. I just wanted to say that I love you, because I didn't get a chance to tell you before you passed out. Now, I need you to do one thing for me. I need you to wake up, okay? Just, open your beautiful eyes, and let me know that you're still in there. Or make some kind of movement..."

He waited patiently for three minutes. Nothing.

"Okay, Haley. Here's the thing." Fresh tears dripped down from his wet eyelashes. "I can't live without you." He inhaled uncertainly. "I am physically and emotionally unable to do it. You know, it's already hard enough being away from you for half the year, but being without you forever?" His breath hitched in his throat. "I can't!" he cried, burying his face into her chest. "I can't do it, Hales! You're always there for me, and I need you! So badly."

*****With Haley  
**

The way Nathan's voice broke and the way the sobs were ripping from his chest destroyed Haley's heart. She was awake. She was okay. She was able to breathe again. Now, she needed to find the strength to open her eyes, and take her husband's pain away. Just one little flutter of the eyelid...

She saw his body, hunched over hers, for a split second, before it was concealed by darkness once again.

She had opened her eyes! She had done it! But shoot, Nathan hadn't seen her. Okay, one more time... she could do it...

And when she did, she couldn't find the strength to _shut_ them.

Her eyes were engulfed by a sea of blue, the brightest and most beautiful blue she had ever seen in her life. They radiated despair and brokenness. Now it was her job to take that pain away.

*****With Nathan **

He moved his face away from her chest and stared at her face through bloodshot eyes. Memorized, and re memorized the contours of her angelic face. Promising himself that he would never, ever, spend a day apart from her ever again.

And then it happened.

Her brown eyes pried open right in front of his face, taking his breath away. He noticed that she attempted to open her mouth, but couldn't due to the oxygen mask. Nathan looked up to the ceiling before letting out tears of relief. He turned his gaze back to Haley and kissed any part of her face not covered by the mask.

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God," he breathed against her ear, brushing his lips across them. Haley nodded her head mutely. Nathan wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his chest, burying his face into her shoulder. He breathed in her scent, and ducked his ear down to listen to the drum of her heart. He loved her, with every inch of every part of his body.

"I love you," he whispered raggedly, squeezing his eyes to rid of his tears. He heard footsteps behind him and lifted his head to come face to face with Dr. Opacta.

"May I..." he gestured towards Haley. Nathan nodded obediently and stepped back, his eyes never leaving his locked gaze with Haley. They stared lovingly into each other's eyes as Dr. Opacta removed the oxygen mask and disconnected some of the wires. He did a quick check on Haley's chest, and when he was done, he gave Nathan the OK to go back to her.

"I'm sorry!" she said as Dr. Opacta closed the door. Her voice was hoarse, but Nathan didn't care. He was thankful just to hear her voice.

"Don't you ever scare me that badly, _ever_ again," he said, each word shaking from the salty water still coming from his deep blue eyes. She scooted over slowly so he could lie beside her. He climbed on the bed and pulled her into his lap, making sure all her wires were still hooked up. He kissed her hair, then her ear, then made a trail of kisses down to the crook of her neck.

"What exactly happened to me?" she asked, trying not to be affected by Nathan's kisses. His cries started all over again as he heard her voice once more. Haley reached up and touched his face.

"Shh, baby. I'm here," she said gently. It still took some effort to get words out, but she didn't feel much discomfort in the warmth and security of her husband's arms.

Nathan bit his lip and nodded, trying to contain his shaking body.

"You - you, were in surgery, he choked out. I thought I was going to lose you."

Haley sighed, ignoring the dull ache in her chest, and took his hand, kissing it lightly.

"I'm okay," she whispered. "I'm here."

Nathan sniffed back the sobs and nodded his head. He wrapped his arms more protectively around her and continued his kiss trail. Haley sat there, a small smile lit upon her wretched face. She had a long way to recovery, but lying there with Nathan, she knew everything was going to be just fine.

Nathan stopped his kisses at her other ear, lingering his mouth at it again. Shivers tickled Haley's skin at the feel of his hot breath on her earlobe. He mumbled incoherent things to her, the only three words really sticking out to her being "I love you".

Nathan nuzzled his nose against the crook of her neck, and felt a sense of euphoria. No, everything wasn't perfect in his life, but lying there with Haley, he felt untouchable. Nothing could hurt him, nothing could affect him. Nothing could be as bad as losing her.

And thank God he didn't.

**Alright, there's the next chapter. :)  
Did you guys see the last episode of OTH? 8.03? So sad! When Nathan cried, I lost it, baha.  
Anyways, thanks for reading! ;D**


	25. Purple Flowers and Potatoes

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.  
**

**Summary: **_**but as she felt him deepen the kiss, she suddenly and simply just didn't care.  
**_

****It was the first time he had left her side in three days.

He walked through the flower shop, searching intentely for the ones he needed to find. Daisies? Nope. Red roses? Nope. Daffodils? Nope.

"May I help you with anything?" a store worker asked Nathan. Nathan smiled at her and nodded.

"Yeah... I'm looking for something _very _specific." 

*****At The Hospital **

"You need anything else?" 

Haley sighed and grinned at her best friend. "No, Luke. I'm okay," she replied, setting down her empty glass of water. He pressed his lips together and smiled.

"Okay, just checkin'." 

Lucas had almost been as over-protective as Nathan had been since the moment Haley had opened her eyes three days ago. A lot of Lucas' vigilantism was driven from guiltiness. He hadn't spent a lot of time with his best friend in a while, and almost losing her had made him see her from a whole new perspective. She wasn't just his best friend, or his step-sister in law. She was someone he simply couldn't stand losing. Ever.

"So how are _you_ doing?" Haley asked. Lucas looked at her and smirked. 

"Okay, I didn't think that question was worth laughing at," she said teasingly, blushing slightly. The colour in her skin had started to flush back after the second day of being in the hospital, making her look healthier and more vibrant.

Lucas shook his head and stared at her through squinted eyes. "It just... amazes me that you're asking about _me_ when_ you're _the one in the hospital bed."

"Well, I'm tired of people asking about me," Haley replied, a hint of offence in her voice. "I'm okay. The doctors say I'm okay. The babies," she patted her stomach and smiled, "are great. Now the only people I'm trying to convince of that are you guys."

Lucas patted her hand and sighed. "You're still weak, and you don't really look one hundred percent." 

Haley rolled her eyes. "How flattering."

"You know what I mean," Lucas said. "Nate's still worried sick about you, even if he doesn't show it. I mean, before your surgery, the last he saw of you was you being unconcious and...pale. You should have seen him." 

Haley bit her lip and watched her hands. "How was he when I was unconcious?"

Lucas inhlaed a deep breath, and exhaled loudly. "To be honest...a mess. A total mess."

Haley put her hand to her forehead. She hated hearing about Nathan being distressed.

"What can I do to convince him that everythings okay?" she asked, massaging her temples. Lucas shrugged. 

"Let him help you. Don't be so...independant." He cracked a slight smile at the glare she shot him. "He wants to be there for you. You have to let him help you."

She nodded her head slowly. "So be...needy?"

"No," Lucas shook his head, reconsidering his thoughts. "He knows that you're getting the best care possible when he's the one helping you. I think _everyone_ knows that. I mean, come on Hales," he shrugged again, "no one is going to be as delicate towards you, or as sweet, or as loving, or as willing to do anything for you, besides Nate. So just let him have that, alright?"

Haley chewed her lip as she processed Lucas' words. "You're right," she said after a few seconds of silence. "What would I do without you, Lucas Scott?" 

Lucas chortled and wrapped his arm around her. "You'd be lost without me, Haley James Scott."

"Hey, get your arms off my girl." 

Lucas and Haley's heads snapped up at the sound of Nathan's voice. Haley grinned widely at his presence.

"Yea, stop flirting with me, Luke," she said, winking at Nathan. She noticed his hands were pinned behind his back.

"What do you have there?" Haley asked, automatically scooting over in the bed so Nathan could climb on. It had been routine for her to let him climb on, since every time he entered her room in the past three days, he always went straight to the bed and pulled her into his arms.

"A surprise," he beamed, shooting Lucas The Look. The Look was the wordless exchange between the two brother's that meant they wanted alone time with their wife. Lucas smiled and stepped back, waving at Haley as he left the room. Nathan stood still, even though Haley had cleared his half of the tiny double bed. She patted the empty section, but he didn't budge.

"Come here," she said.

Nathan shook his head. 

She sighed. "Do I really smell _that_ bad? I mean I know I haven't showered in days, but it's because the doctor's won't let me leave this bed!"

Nathan's already beaming grin somehow widened at the adorableness of his wife. He shook his head and took a step closer. 

"If I went to lie down beside you, I think I'd squish these." He revealed what he had been hiding behind his back.

Haley gasped, tears spurting to her eyes almost instantly. He had found them. He had actually found them.

"You found our purple flowers?" she whispered, accepting them as Nathan gave them to her. He then proceeded to climb onto the bed and pull her into the warmth of his arms. 

"Who knew Canada actually had _tons_ of them?" he murmured, kissing her cheek.

"_Had_?" Haley questioned. 

"I may have boughten a _wee_ bit more than just this bouquet." 

She chuckled. "Define wee." 

Nathan cringed. "I kind of... bought all of them."

Haley laughed heartily. "How many were there?" 

"Uh... a lot..." His voice was full of guiltiness, as if he had been caught committing a crime. "I couldn't help myself!"

"Well, where are they?" she asked, snuggling into his arms, her eyes starting to droop.

"In the back of the rented car." 

"They need water, you know," Haley pointed out. Nathan cursed and pulled out his cell phone. 

"Hey, Clay?" he said. "I need you to get a bit bucket of water. No, don't ask why. Why can't I get it? Because I'm a little busy right now, that's why. Okay, thanks man. Alright, bye."

He pressed the end button. "Done."

Haley smiled, the soft murmur of his voice almost putting her to sleep. He noticed it, too.

"You're tired, babe," he whispered against her temple. "Go to sleep. I'm right here."

"I want to stay awake and be with you," she said, her words mixing together from the sleep about to dominate. "I love you..." she trailed off, slipping into a deep slumber. Nathan just grinned a grin of complete bliss, and placed a loving kiss on her head.

*****2 Hours Later  
**

"Nate, I got the water, but it's just been sitting in your hotel room, what do you want me to-"

Clay stopped himself mid sentence as he saw Nathan and Haley sound asleep on the hospital bed. She was in his arms, and he had a smile on his sleeping face. Clay piveted and went to the waiting room to get Quinn and her camera. They returned a moment later.

"That's just too cute," Quinn squeaked, focusing her camera on the sleeping couple. She zoomed in, and clicked the button to take the picture, setting off a huge flash. The peaceful couple instantly woke up and looked around themselves.

Quinn looked at Clay frantically. "Run!" she whispered, and the two were out of there before Nathan and Haley had comprehended what had woken them up. 

"What the hell..." Haley trailed off, wiping her eyes.

"Lightning?" Nathan suggested groggily.

Haley nodded and rested her head back into his chest. 

"Well now I'm awake," she sighed. "How long were we asleep?" 

Nathan checked his phone clock. "About two hours. You hungry?" 

Haley's stomach flew to her ever-growing stomach. Nathan noticed the movement and placed his hands ontop of hers. 

"Are you two hungry, as well?" he restated. Haley smiled. 

"Yeah, I kinda am. And so are they," she said, interlocking her hands with his. Nathan sighed longingly.

"I guess I have to get up now."

"Or I could," Haley suggested. Nathan pressed his lips together and shook his head forcefully.

"Nope, not happening. I'll be back in a jiffy." He carefully moved from underneath Haley's body and got to his feet, kissing her before he turned and left the room. Haley couldn't help but simper goofily as the door closed.

"You hear that man, guys?" Haley whispered towards her stomach. "That's your dad. And he's the greatest dad in the world. Actually, he's the greatest guy in the world." 

"Who you talking to?" Jamie asked, walking up to the bed. Haley quickly glanced up at her seven year old and chuckled. 

"The babies," she said. Jamie raised an eyebrow.

"There's more than one?"

Haley's eyes widened as she realized that her and Nathan hadn't told Jamie that they were having twins. Her heart rate accelerated as she decided to tell him right then and there.

"Uh, yeah, there is. We just found out that you're going to have _two_ younger siblings, instead of just one." She chewed on her bottom lip, gaging his reaction. 

Jamie stayed relatively calm, except for the smile that appeared on his face. "That's so cool, momma! So I'll have two younger brothers to play with. It'll be like Uncle Lucas and dad...and then another one..." 

"Or a girl," Haley said. "They could be two girls, you know." 

Jamie's smile disappeared. "Oh...true." 

Haley opened her arms and Jamie climbed onto the bed with her. 

"Girls are great too, you know." she said. "It's just like having Sawyer around, and you love Sawyer don't you?"

He nodded his head. "Yeah, Sawyer's cool."

"And your sister or sisters will be too...if one or both of them are girls." 

"How long does it take?" Jamie questioned. 

"About nine months." 

"And how many months has it been so far?"

"About three."

Jamie nodded his head, taking in this newfound information. "Well, I'm excited for you, momma."

Haley smiled warmly down at her sweet son. "Thanks, Jame."

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked, his bright blue eyes reminding Haley of his father's. They shone with passion and concern.

"Yeah, I'll be just fine, buddy. I love you."

Jamie grinned toothily up at Haley. "Love you too, momma." 

*****That evening**

****"So then I was like, psh, you're not modelling for the new line, you're too skinny. And she was like, pft, you bitch. And I was like, pfffft, you're fired." Brooke grunted. "Models these days..."

Haley chuckled, taking one of Brooke's apple slices she had been munching on, dipped it in caramel sauce, and plopped it in her mouth. Nathan was ordered by Clay to go back to the hotel and shower, since he hadn't for almost four days. He left, not without reluctance, but was promised by Brooke and Peyton that they would watch over Haley.

"But Alex is still modelling, right?" She asked, her mouth full. Brooke nodded. 

"Yeah, everyone loves her too much," she rolled her eyes. "She's good at what she does though, and she's not a nuisance to me and my personal life anymore, so I just thought, why not, you know?" 

Haley nodded, peeking over at the paper Peyton was carefully drawing on. Peyton noticed her doing so, and quickly lifted the paper to her chest, shielding it from her. 

"It's not done yet," she said, tucking a curly blonde hair behind her ear, eyeing Haley. Haley smiled and tore her suspicious eyes away from the page that Peyton had been drawing on nonstop for three days.

"Alright, alright." She relaxed back into the comfortable pillows. Peyton didn't remove the paper from her chest, or her eyes from Haley. Even though Haley was awake and seemed fine, they still hadn't figured out what had caused the very severe allergic reaction. And it made Peyton uneasy. 

"So still no word on what caused this whole mess?" she asked her best friend. Haley sighed, shaking her head. 

"I wish. I can't be released from this hospital until they do. I mean, it's friday, and Jamie starts school on Tuesday. I _have_ to be out of here by Monday at the _latest_." 

"You know, Luke and I can always take him back to Tree Hill, let him stay at our place for a while, until you're let out of this prison-like place." She shuddered at the white walls surrounding them. "Lucas would love to spend some quality time with Jamie too since he hasn't in a while."

A small smile appeared on Haley's face at Peyton's suggestion. "Yeah, that may have to happen if they don't figure this out soon enough. Thanks, Peyton." 

Peyton smiled and slowly lowered the paper back down so she could continue sketching. "Anything for my girl, Haley James." 

"Yeah, whatever you need, I'll do it, Hales." Brooke piped in.

Haley raised an eyebrow, a smirk curving her lips up. "Well, in that case, I'd like a million dollars, Brooke Davis." 

Brooke scoffed, finishing up her apples. "No can do. But I can give you the last apple..." 

"Hmmm," Haley hummed. "very tempting. I guess I'll cave," she snatched the last apple, savouring the juicy taste before swallowing it. 

"Okay, time to play...Let's Read B Davis Magazine!" Brooke exclaimed, whipping out the newest edition of her magazine from her purse. Haley and Peyton laughed and shook their heads, leaning over Brooke to glimpse at the magazine and read it together. Haley glanced at Brooke and Peyton as Brooke started reading her opening column. Her and her two best friends were back together again. And it felt great. 

*****The Next Day  
**

"I wish my life could just randomly burst into song."

Nathan chuckled. "Well, that would be extremely weird." 

Haley glanced at him and shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever. I know you would join in with me if I started singing a song about basketball." 

"That's the only reason I'm watching this, you know. Because of the basketball." Nathan whispered, flinging his hand towards the small tv set up in front of them. Everyone was situated around the room, watching High School Musical 3. Sawyer's choice. Clay had used his boyish charm to convince the receptionist to let everyone in Haley's hospital room at once, and with the lights off, just the sound of the movie, and some random hilarious movie comments from Julian, Haley already felt one hundred percent better. 

"Shh!" Brooke said, placing her index finger over her lips. "Zac Efron is really hot, and he's about to take off his shirt..." she trailed off, watching as Zac Efron, who played the lead boy, Troy, took off his shirt in the changeroom. 

"Turn around, turn around, turn arounnnnnnd," Brooke whispered, bracing herself.

"Dammit!" Haley, Peyton, and Brooke said at once as Zac slipped on his Wildcat's jersey before turning around. 

"What cougars you guys are," Julian commented. "This guy is like twelve." 

"Twenty two," Peyton corrected. "Only three years younger."

"But isn't he dating that girl, Gabriella? In real life, though. " Haley commented. 

Brooke nodded. She knew all the celebrity gossip, mostly because she _was _one. "Yeah, Vanessa. Damn, we'll have to find a way to work around her..."

"Shh!" Sawyer silenced the group of adults, flashing them her wide, bright blue eyes. They succummed to her cuteness and stopped their chatter about Zac. 

"Okay, we're shutting up," Haley chuckled, snuggling deeper into Nathan's arms. The group finished the movie up, and everyone was off and back to the hotel by ten thirty. Except for Nathan, of course. 

"I feel bad," Haley whispered, fiddling with her tangled and greasy hair. She desperately needed a shower.

"Why?"

Haley huffed. "Because you and your six foot body is crunched onto a teeny double bed with me. You should really get back to the hotel and sleep on the nice, comfy, king sized bed..."

Nathan shook his head prominitely. "Wouldn't be the same without you."

Haley grimaced. "And when was the last time you worked out? The coaches strike could end at any time and you could be called to play without notice. I want you to be ready."

"Hales," Nathan said huskily in her ear. "_Clay_ hasn't even been bugging me about not going to the gym. It's okay." 

Haley peered up at him through uncertain eyes. 

"Seriously," he confirmed. "I don't know what I'm going to do when you have to go home, though." He paused for a moment, then added an afterthought. "Maybe I'll come home too."

Haley cocked an eyebrow. "You're going to stay in Toronto and play... don't even think about coming back to Tree Hill with us!"

"Ouch." 

Haley giggled. "Sorry, that was harsh. But you know what I mean..."

"Yeah," Nathan exhaled loudly. "I just wish I could come home with you and take care of you. And our babies." 

Haley kissed his hand. "I wish you could too. And so do they," she patted her stomach. "But _someone_'s gotta bring home the bacon!"

He buried his face into her hair and laughed. "How about my famous musician wife?"

"I'm a little preoccupied with you know, the whole twins thing." 

"Oh, you are now?" 

Haley shifted and turned to look at him, flashing him a grin and a wink that made his knees a little weak. He sighed.

"Okay, then I guess I'll _have _to play. Or else we may run out of money." His tone was mocking, and he was glad that after all that had happened, he could still have lighthearted conversations with her. 

A few moments of silence later, Nathan heart the light snore coming from Haley's lips. He smiled and stared at her face. It was beautiful, nonetheless, and it _did_ look better than the previous days. Less...sick. But he still hated the fact that she was going to have to leave soon,and still toyed with the idea of taking a few games off and going home. His coach would understand...right? His coach had a wife and kids. 

Nathan just wasn't sure if his coach put his family first, like he did.

*****The Next Day  
**

"Potatoes? Seriously?" 

"You sound...disappointed." 

Haley cocked an eyebrow and reread the medical sheet Dr. Opacta had handed her. "I'm not disappointed per say...just, I don't know...confused. I mean I just got told the food that set me off was potatoes." 

"But this is good, Hales!" Lucas chirped. "It means you can go home before Jamie's vacation ends." 

Haley pondered the point Lucas had just brought up. She was glad to have everyone there for Jamie, for he still explored Toronto with them in the past three days while her and Nathan stayed at the hospital.

"Yeah," she said, locking eyes with Nathan for a second before looking away. She noticed the hurt in his eyes. He wanted to go with her _so_ badly, she could tell. She thought that maybe she should stop fighting him, and let him come home with them and help her. Lucas' words popped into her head from the other day, the words that told her that she should let him have the satisfaction of being with her and helping her recover. Did he feel as if she was neglecting him because she kept telling him to stick with basketball, and not come home? Haley knew Nathan better than anyone in the world, and knew about his crappy past growing up with a father like Dan. Maybe Nathan felt like he was acting like his father when he was away for half the year, especially when she was pregnant and having some pregnancy roadbumps.

Haley sighed, shaking her head to rid of all the thoughts running through them. She just had one thing to do. 

"Yeah," she repeated. "We can all go home." She looked at Nathan, who's eyes were pinned to the floor. "Even you, Nate." 

His head snapped up. "What?" 

Lucas raised his eyebrows. "Huh?" 

Haley's eyes went to Lucas first. "I didn't want him to come home with us because I didn't want him missing basketball because of me. I feel guilty." 

Lucas nodded at her reasoning. She then turned her eyes to Nathan, who had walked up beside her. She cupped his face and gazed into his deep eyes, almost forgetting her point. 

"I hope you don't feel as if I don't want you to come home or something when I tell you that you should stay here, because I _do_ want you to come. I love you. Everyday you're gone I wish you're with me. I miss you _so_ much when you're gone." 

Nathan smiled sadly and nodded mutely.

"I just want you to have your dream, you know? You've worked so hard to make this happen, and I don't want it to all go away because you want to come home and take care of me. Even though I appreciate it to no end. 

"But I mean, the coaches strike isn't over. And besides, I shouldn't be telling you what you should and shouldn't do. If you should or shouldn't come home. If you should or shouldn't play basketball. If you should or shouldn't-" 

Her words were suddenly cut off by the feeling of Nathan's soft, warm, lips against hers. 

"You talk too much, Haley James Scott." Nathan said when they parted. He plucked a single purple flower from the bouquet he had given her the previous day and placed it in the space between her ear and her temple. "I love you," he murmured into the same ear. "And I'm coming home." 

Haley grinned at his words, pushing herself to her knees so she could fling her arms around his neck and kiss him with the passion she had been containing for the past few days of craziness and stress. She was aware of Lucas and Dr. Opacta in the room, but as she felt him deepen the kiss, she suddenly and simply just didn't care. 

And it seemed like Nathan didn't either.

*****That Night**

"I'm really going to miss Canada. Even though we didn't really get to see it."

Nathan nodded, packing some of Haley's things into her bag. He had insisted that he would pack up her things, and she would follow the Doctor's strict orders of taking things slowly. And avoiding potatoes. 

"Yeah, me too. Now I'm going to have to make sure you don't eat any potatoes or french fries or anything like that."

Haley chuckled, twirling one of her purple flowers' stems in her hand. "I'm really going to miss french fries..." she said thoughtfully. 

Nathan shrugged. "I think you would miss your life more if you ate them and then... nevermind." he shook his head. 

Haley placed her flowers down and walked up behind him, wrapping her arms around his muscular torso. "I'm not going anywhere," she mumbled into his back, stepping onto her tip toes so she could place a kiss on his shoulder. "I promise." 

Nathan placed his hands over hers. "Good, because I kinda want you to stick around a little bit longer."

Haley smiled, resting her head against his back, breathing in his intoxicating scent, relaxing into the warmth of his body...

No. She needed to rest.

"Okay, I'm going to let go of you before I do something Dr. Opacta would not approve of." 

Nathan instantly spun in her arms and wiggled his eyebrows, a seductive smirk playing on his lips.

"No no no..." Haley stepped back, giggling as she started skipping around the room, escaping Nathan chasing her with open arms. He suddenly piveted, changing his direction, and caught Haley in his arms in no time. He picked her up and spun her around gently, tackling her lips with his. He took caution with her, and set her down on the bed. He heard her mumble some incoherent things as he kissed around her face and down her neck. He stopped briefly to whisper a few words. 

"We wouldn't want Dr. Opacta to disapprove of us, so I think I'll have to settle for smothering my sexy wife in kisses..." he lost his train of thought as Haley nibbled at his ear. 

For the first time in days, a sense of steadiness washed over Nathan. He felt a mix of warm emotions lying there with Haley. She was going to be okay. And he knew he was going to be there to make sure of that. 

**Yay for fast updates haha.  
I had a lot of time on my hands, so I wrote another chapter.**

Guess what day's todaaaaaay.  
If you said Tuesday, you would be correct.  
And guess what that meansssssss.  
One Tree Hill is on! haha but I'm sure you all knew that.  
I'm excited to see what this episode will bring to the table! Pumped! :) 

**Thanks for reading!**


	26. Missing Everything

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**_**  
**_

**Summary:_ Nathan grimaced at the anticipation in Haley's eyes._**

"You are the apple to my pie, the jelly to my peanut butter...the stars to my sky?"

Nathan cringed. "I know, it sucks. I'm terrible at writing, man. I need your help."

Lucas chuckled, closing the heart-shaped card Nathan had cut out from pink paper ever so precisely.

"Well, you've come to the right person, since you know, I am a world famous author."

Nathan scoffed. "In your dreams."

Lucas put his hands behind his head, closed his eyes and peacefully rocked back in his chair. "Yep. That _is_ my dream."

Sighing, Nathan ripped the lame card he had taken so long to make the previous night. Valentine's Day was in a week, and Nathan wanted to go _big_ for Haley, especially since she had been through so much.

He stacked the shreds one by one and peered at Lucas. "Well, can you put your dream on hold for a while and help me with this?"

Lucas reopened his eyes and nodded. "Sure, little bro. What do you want to write? A poem, a mushy love letter..." he winked as Nathan rolled his eyes.

Turning red, Nathan kept his eyes trained on the pink pieces he was stacking. "I don't know...something good."

Lucas leaned over the table and flicked Nathan's head. "Come on, I know there's _some_ knowledge in there. You can think of _something_."

Nathan shrugged his shoulders and lifted his hands up, dropping them helplessley.

"I don't-"

"Hellooooo!"

Nathan widened his eyes at the sound of Haley's echoing voice. Lucas snatched the pile of destroyed papers and shoved them into his pocket just before Haley entered the kitchen.

"Hey, baby," Nathan greeted guiltily, immediately pulling Haley onto his lap so she wouldn't see his red face.

"Hey..." she trailed off, raising an eyebrow at Lucas's smirk. "What?"

Lucas dropped his bottom lip slightly. "Nothing," he replied non-chalantly. He got up from the chair and kissed Haley's head.

"I'm gonna go. See you guys later."

Haley lifted her hand to wave Lucas goodbye. Nathan just shot him a dirty look as he rubbed Haley's thigh.

"What was that all about?" Haley asked as Lucas shut the front door. Nathan played his best 'out of the know' face and shrugged.

"Who knows what goes on in the head of Lucas Scott."

Haley chuckled in agreement, and started to hop off of Nathan's lap. But Nathan caught her waist just in time.

"You okay?" He whispered in her ear as she relaxed back onto his quads. Haley smiled.

"Yes, amazing husband. I am _fine_."

"Sorry, just making sure you don't have another reaction after the almost fatal one about a month ago."

Haley chortled at the bluntness and stubborness in Nathan's voice.

"Look at it this way," he continued. Haley shifted in his lap to stare into his eyes. They were soft with concern. "what if I was the one who was unconcious and pregnant?"

Haley pressed her lips together at the image that came to mind of Nathan having a pregnant woman's belly. He was being serious though, no trace of a smile on any features. She had to be serious too.

"I would be asking you if you were okay every ten seconds," she admitted, mentally wiping away the funny picture.

Leaning in closer to her face, so they were only an inch apart, he whispered huskily, "exactly," before taking her lips in his. His point was made, and he was happy she understood where he was coming from.

"I love you." she whispered as they parted. "And I love how protective you are of me. It's nice to know someone cares." She lightly caressed his worried face. He leaned into her touch and simply nodded.

"I'll always care."

She smiled warmly before sliding off his legs. "Okay, I have to go to Brooke's."

"Maid of Honour stuff?"

Haley nodded as she grabbed her coat that was draped over a kitchen chair. "Yeah, she called an emergency meeting actually...which should be interesting."

Nathan grinned crookedly. "Well, have fun. I'll try to think of something for dinner."

She walked over to him after slipping her coat on and kissed him quickly. "Thank you." She piveted on her heel and strutted away towards the front door. "I love you!" she called out before closing the door. Nathan beamed.

"Love you too, baby."

*****With Brooke, Haley, and Peyton  
**

"I never thought I'd be kidnapped by Brooke Davis."

"Me neither."

Brooke scoffed. "Oh be quiet you two. You guys will be fine. Just one more second...okay, Millicent remove the blindfolds!"

Milli gingerly untied the bandanas that Brooke had tied around Haley and Peyton's eyes the second they had stepped into Brooke's house for her emergency meeting. They were then whisked into Brooke's car and were driven somewhere unknown, and were plopped onto a comfy seat and waited.

Until now, of course.

"Wow, Brooke," Haley breathed, putting her hand to her chest. Peyton widened her eyes and just nodded.

"Do you like it?" Brooke asked excitedly, twirling in every direction, showing off the pure white wedding dress she had made herself.

"It's beautiful!" Haley appraised, her eyes searching the material. The dress was typical Brooke. Girly but stylish and modern. It had a tight corest at the torso, and then flowed into a poufy and magical finish. Beads glittered on the corest, accenting it prefectly. It was stunning.

"I'm so glad you guys like it!" Brooke beamed. She did one last twirl before turning back into the dressing room. "Milli!" she called. Millicent briskly walked behind her to help her get out of the dress. Brooke returned a few minutes later in sweat pants and one of Julian's hoodies. She went and sat in the middle of Peyton and Haley.

"I'm going to go home," Milli said, awkwardly eyeing Haley and Peyton. Brooke smiled and nodded.

"Alright, go ahead."

Once Milli left, Brooke started speaking again.

"Okay, so... I have tons of wedding news. Exciting wedding news. While in Canada, Julian and I did a lot of wedding planning. Annnnd, the wedding is going to be in two weeks!"

Haley's heart stopped for a minute, before it went into overdrive. "Two weeks?" she exclaimed, her breathing accelerating. She was the maid of honour. She had to help Brooke with a lot of wedding details. Two weeks couldn't possibly fit in _everything_. "Why two weeks?"

"Because if you didn't just notice, I have a _corset_ dress, and I'm three months pregnant! Hales, don't worry. Julian and I have virtually done everything, except I need your help on a few little things. You too, P. Sawyer. There's a beautiful outdoor location in Charlotte that we looked at about a week ago. It's on the water, and then there's a reception building about a mile from it. I'm currently designing your guys' dresses, they're almost done."

Haley nodded and scribbled down a few notes on a pad of paper. "Does Julian have a best man?"

Brooke pressed her lips together to keep from smiling. "He's actually on that right now."

*****At Nathan and Haley's House**

"What?"

Julian dabbed at the sweat on his forehead. "What? What what?"

Nathan chuckled. "I didn't understand what you just said."

Julian inhaled nervously. "Oh." He had come to the Scott's house to ask Nathan to be his best man. Even though the two weren't very close, Nathan was the closest thing he had to a guy friend in Tree Hill. It also didn't help Julian that Brooke kept gushing about how perfect it would be if Nathan was the best man, since Haley was the Maid of Honour.

"I just, uh, was wondering, um, if you...wantedtobemybestman?"

"Wanted to be your what?" Nathan replied, spraying Pam onto a frying pan in preparation for dinner.

"Wanted to be my best man!" Julian exclaimed in frustration. Nathan raised an eyebrow and turned to face him.

"Me?"

Julian bit his lip and rubbed the back of his neck bashfully. "I know it's kinda weird, but... yeah."

Nathan held back the chuckle threatening to escape and nodded. "Sure man."

"Really?" Julian's eyes light up. Nathan turned his attention back to spraying his frying pan and mumbled a yes.

"This is great!" Julian expressed. "Okay thanks man. I've gotta go tell Brooke. I'll call you up about some details a bit later." He started backing away. Nathan turned and smiled.

"Sure, you do that. I'll be waiting."

"Alright, bye!" Julian called from the front door, skipping happily away from the Scott house. Nathan let out the hearty laugh and turned the oven on.

*****An Hour Later  
**

"Two weeks?"

Haley sighed and looked away from Nathan and down at her dinner plate. "I know, that's what I said."

"Will I be the ring bearer?" Jamie asked, taking his fork and stabbing his salad.

Haley shrugged. "Do you want to be the ring bearer? They don't have one yet."

Jamie deliberated while chewing his salad. "Well, Brooke has always been there for me, so if she needs me to be the ring bearer then I'll be it."

Nathan smiled. "That's noble, Jamie."

"I know," Jamie joked, stuffing some more greens into his mouth.

"So what else do you have to help Brooke plan?" Nathan asked.

"Uh, just little things, like what type of flowers will go on the tables, what type of food they'll serve, etcetera etcetera. It's a little stressful though, since we only have like a week left to finish up everything. I'll have to basically move into Brooke's house and work on it 24/7."

"Hey," Nathan said, moving his hand under the table so he could rub her knee. "if this is too much for you to handle, don't do it. You should be taking it easy, anyways."

Haley smiled at Nathan's sweetness. But she couldn't just back out of being Maid of Honour, especially since Brooke had helped her out so much when her and Nathan had renewed their vows.

Placing her hand ontop of his under the table, she looked at him through soft eyes. "I'll be careful, don't worry."

He nodded and squeezed her knee before returning both hands to cut into the steak he had prepared for dinner.

"So momma, what are you going to name the new babies?" Jamie asked. Haley and Nathan shared a look before Haley replied.

"We don't know yet, bud. Do you have any suggestions?"

Jamie stroked his chin, pondering. "Well, I really like the name Chester."

Nathan and Haley chuckled in unison.

"Or not..." Jamie trailed off, eyeing his laughing parents.

"Just, wouldn't it be weird to have your brother or sister named after your rabbit?"

Jamie clicked his tounge. "I guess so. I don't think Chester would like it if anyone else had his name either."

"Well, we'll think of something. We've still got five months, you know."

Jamie nodded his head and turned to Nathan. "Dad, when's the coaches strike going to be over?"

Nathan could see the disappointment in his eyes as he asked the question. He knew Jamie wanted to see him out playing. So did Haley. But he had no control over things like this.

"I don't know, sorry bud."

"But it's been so long!" Jamie whined. "I want to talk to Clay."

Nathan suppressed a laugh. "Jame, Clay can't fix this coaches strike."

"There must be some way he can fix it. Clay fixes everything."

"Not this, Jamie." Haley said. "Sorry."

Jamie sighed and pushed away from the table. "Well, this sucks. I really wanted-"

The seven year old was cut off by the shrill ring of Nathan's cell phone.

"Sorry," Nathan said quickly before picking it up. "Hello? Oh hey, Clay."

Haley watched as Nathan got up from his place at the kitchen table and walked down the hall, already deep into the conversation.

"Yeah sure, I'll come over now. Alright, seeya."

He walked back to face Jamie and Haley.

"What was that about?" Haley asked as Nathan grabbed his jacket and pulled it over his shoulders.

"Clay wants me to go over to his house. He said he needs to talk."

Jamie's eyes widened. "Maybe the coaches strike is over!"

Nathan chuckled nervously and nodded as him and Haley locked watchful eyes.

He wasn't ready to leave her yet.

*****At Clay's House **

"So there's no way I can miss even _two_ games?"

Clay shrugged and set down his beer. "You're the captian, remember. It's impossible."

Nathan ran his fingers through his hair. "This sucks. The strike is actually over, and I have to leave right before Valentines Day. Someone, somewhere, hates me."

"Oh quit whining." Clay replied. "You're living your dream, you have an amazing family, and you're making a whole crap load of money anyone would give their right arm for."

"Then why am I not as happy as you're making me think I should be?" Nathan retorted, pushing himself off Clay's couch and heading to his fridge for a beer of his own. Clay shrugged.

"You tell me."

Nathan returned to the couch. "I don't know. I guess I'm feeling a littte overwhelmed with Brooke's wedding, Haley's pregnancy, Valentines Day, and now returning to basketball."

"Wait, Brooke's wedding? How does that affect you at all except for the fact that you have to be there in a suit and tie and smile pretty for the pictures?"

Nathan took a big gulp of beer. "Julian asked me to be his best man, which means I've got to plan a bachelor party for us. Not to mention that it'll be completely awkward the whole time, since I barely know him."

"But don't you have like, months to plan this?" Clay asked. Nathan shook his head.

"Haven't you heard? Their wedding is going to be in two weeks."

"Two weeks?" Clay almost spat out his beverage. "Didn't they get engaged like...yesterday?"

Nathan gave Clay a questioning look. "Why are you so baffled at the suddeness of their wedding? How does it affect you at all except for the fact that you have to be there in a suit and tie and smile pretty for the pictures?"

Clay shook his head prominentely. "I'm not concerned for me. I'm concerened for you. We're not going to able to make it back for Brooke and Julian's wedding."

*****Back At Home Later That Night**

Somehow, Nathan had managed to put off the news of his departure until he was in bed with Haley. He had arrived home and Jamie was already in bed. Haley was in their bathroom getting ready for bed, so Nathan decided to catch up on some of the other sports by staying downstairs and watching TV. When he came to the desicion that he had to break the news to Haley, he trudged upstairs, slipped into the bathroom, and brushed his teeth vigorously. When he left the bathroom, he was immediately attacked by questions about Brooke's wedding.

"So I really think we should go with the yellow ones. They'll brighten things up, right?"

Nathan peered over at the pictures Haley was holding out in front of herself as he climbed onto the bed beside her. One displayed a bouquet of red flowers, one of yellow flowers, and one of purple flowers.

"Well definitely not the purple flowers," Nathan said. "Those are our thing. We should copyright them or something."

"And then these..." Haley ignored his comment and swaped the pictures of the flowers for pictures of chandeliers. "are the choices for possible chandeliers. Which one do you like the best?"

Nathan raised an eyebrow and picked a random picture, not even bothering to really look at them. Haley hummed at his choice and nodded her head.

"I like that one, too."

She then set down the pictures as if her job for the day was done, and propped herself up on her elbow so she could face Nathan fully. He stared at her through his sea blue eyes, wondering how or when to tell her the news.

After a few minutes of complete silence, Haley caved, breaking the lull.

"Okay, what happened with Clay?"

Nathan grimaced at the anticipation in Haley's eyes.

"I...I have to leave the day after tomorrow." Nathan sighed, pulling Haley into his chest as she closed her eyes and let out a big breath.

"So the strike is over?"

"Unfortunetly, yes." Nathan bit his lip. "But that's not all."

Haley looked up at him. "What else?"

"Well, first, I'm not going to be here for Valentines Day-"

"That's fine." Haley interuppted.

"And second, I'm not going to be able to make it back for Brooke and Julian's wedding."

"Oh," Haley breathed, dejection in her voice. "That's not fine."

"I'm really sorry, Hales."

Haley smiled sympathetically and reached up to cup his cheek. None of these things were Nathan's fault. He had to stop apologizing all the time.

"I'll be okay, but you might want to let Julian know that you can't be his best man."

Nathan nodded his head and stared at the ceiling. "Yeah, I'll feel bad, but I'm going to have to."

The worry and discontent were evident in Nathan's eyes. Haley watched them as they peered at the ceiling, and then moved to stare at her. She kept rubbing his cheek.

"Are_ you_ going to be okay?" She asked.

Nathan closed his eyes and leaned into Haley's touch. "Yeah," he mumbled. "I'll be okay. I'm just tired of missing everything."

"Everyone understands, babe."

"Yeah, I know." Nathan spoke quietly, adding a last thought almost unaudibly, "but they shouldn't have to."

*****The Morning of Nathan's Departure **

Nathan slung the last of his bags over his shoulder. He took one last good look around his and Haley's bedroom before sighing and shutting the light off. He walked down the stairs to be met by the two best people in his life.

"Dad! I know I said this last time, but beat the Raptors for me, okay?"

Nathan smiled and patted Jamie's head as he reached the last step. "Yeah, I'll try bud."

Haley had to smiled as Nathan got down on his knees to give his son a proper hug and kiss goodbye.

"Oh, I'll miss you, Jame," Nathan said as he pulled away to look at his son. "Be good to your mom, okay?"

Jamie nodded.

"Alright, I love you."

"Love you too, dad."

Nathan got to his feet and wrapped his arms around Haley, pulling her into a giant bear hug. Haley let herself mould into his warmth. She couldn't deny it - she would miss him. As much as she wanted to see him out there living his dream, she also wanted nothing more than to have him home with her all the time.

He kissed the side of her head before leaning down to whisper in her ear.

"Take care of yourself, okay?"

She nodded her head as she kissed his shoulder. Nathan kept speaking.

"Call me whenever you need to, even if you think it's going to interrupt press or something."

The nodding continued as an obnoxious car horn was sounded from the driveway. Nathan glared through the window as Clay waved at him and gestured for him to get moving. He switched his gaze back to Haley and caressed her face before kissing her sweetly one last time.

"I love you, baby."

Haley smiled. "I love you too. Call me when you get to Canada."

"Will do."

And with one last wave goodbye, an entrance into the Scott house from Quinn, and a honking horn as the two men drove off, they were gone. The three remaining in the house sighed and resumed the rest of their lives. It was going to be a long few months.

*****Game Day in Canada  
**

Nathan tied the last of his laces up and slid on his jersey. Everyone was a bit shaken up from the unexpected length of the coaches strike, but they had had a great practice the previous night, and were quickly getting back into the groove of things.

Nathan, on the other hand, was plotting.

"So captain, what's your plan for the match?"

Nathan looked up to one of his teammates, Roy, and shrugged at his question.

"I dunno."

Roy chuckled and sat down beside him. "You're a bad captian."

Nathan smiled half heartedly. Roy nudged his knee with his own.

"You okay?"

Nathan shrugged again. He'd been shrugging a lot lately.

"Yeah, why?"

"I don't know," Roy mused. "you've just seemed a little distracted ever since we got here."

Nathan stayed silent. Roy patted his back.

"Just, try to forget about what's on your mind during the game tonight, alright? Everyone's counting on you."

Nathan nodded mutely. What Roy didn't know was that what was on his mind was actually _about _the game.

*****Back in Tree Hill  
**

Normally, Haley loved rain. For appropriate reasons or not, it was just a type of weather she enjoyed. A simple fact of life. Haley James Scott enjoyed the rain.

She did not, however, enjoy the rain when it inconviened with her watching her husband's basketball game. But of course every other February day leading up to this one had been perfectly sunny and glorious. Damn North Carolina and it's trecherous rain storms.

And then everything went black.

"Shit."

"Momma, why did my computer and lights turn off? Why is the whole house dark?" Jamie called nervously from his room. He carefully made his way down the stairs and into Haley's arms. She had a flashlight and was fiddling with her cell phone, hitting speed dial number three.

_"Hello?"_

"Hey, Luke, It's Haley. Is the power-"

_"Are you watching Nathan in the game right now?"_ His voice was demanding and strong. Haley was taken back a bit with his tone.

"Uh, no. Is your power not out?"

_"Oh jeeze, this isn't good."  
_

Haley sighed. "I know, Jamie and I are standing here with a single flashlight. I need to dig out the candles..."

_"No no no."_ His voice was still impatient and had a hint of worry. _"Nathan's down on the court."  
_

Haley's heart stopped for a second. "He's down? As in...?"

_"They're walking him off the court, oh this doesn't look good." _

"What's happening?" Haley exclaimed, her grip around Jamie tightening.

_"Oh no no no..."  
_

"Lucas!" Haley growled. "What the hell is going on?"

_"Nathan got hit by some player and fell on his arm really bad!"  
_

Haley put her hand to her chest and closed her eyes, endless amounts of questions spurting to her mind. She'd start with the basic ones first. "Is he okay?"

She heard a short intake of breath over the line, before Lucas' distressed voice came back on. _"He's out of the game."  
_

**Alright, there you go.  
Thanks for reading! :)  
**


	27. Nothing Else Matters

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. **

**Summary:**_** "But I promise you Haley, I will never be like that, ever again." his face twisted."Just the thought of hurting you and Jamie that badly again makes me sick."**_**  
**

Sometimes, life hits us hard. 

_Nathan Scott hits the floor of the Air Canada Centre, his arm taking the majority of the fall. He is rushed off the court, a look of pain etched into his features. What does this mean for the North Carolinian pro basketball player?  
_

It can take us off guard. 

_We got a quick word with Scott before he was ushered into the medical room. He told us that he didn't see the opposing player coming at him, and the next thing he knew, he was being rushed off the court.  
_

It can test out behaviors. 

_Scott, who has infamously gotten into a few bar fights, has not reacted to the fall in any tempermental way.  
_

And it can make us be strong, fearless. The best version of ourselves.

_We also got a quick statement from Scott's agent, Clay Evans. He told us, "Nathan won't let this stop him. He will get better and be on the court again in the blink of an eye."  
_

**NHNHNH**

Sitting at the kitchen table, poking a piece of chocolate cake with her fork, Haley pondered the actions that had occured in the last 48 hours. She sunk her fork into the moist chocolaty goodness, well aware that it was only nine ten in the morning, and stuck it in her mouth, savoring the taste. Jamie was at school, Quinn was at her gallery, and Nathan, well, Nathan was somewhere in Canada getting his bone scan results. 

*****Two Days Earlier  
**

_"Clay, put him on the phone!"_

_"I can't, Hales! They won't let me see him!"  
_

_"Well get in there, you're his agent!"  
_

_Clay sighed audibly. "Okay, let me try again." _

_A few moments later, Clay's voice was back on the line.  
_

_"Okay, here's the thing, Hales," he sheepishly peeked at the tall security guards glaring at him. "the security here is tight, so I can't get in to see Nate. When he gets out I'm sure you'll be the first one he calls."_

Rubbing her forehead, Haley inhaled slowly, exhaling with a woosh. "Okay, fine."  


_"Alright, I gotta go, but I'll keep you up to date. Love ya, Hales. Bye!"_

Haley listened to the dull dial tone for a second before whispering a faint goodbye. 

_Lucas rubbed Haley's shoulders as she set her phone down on his couch.  
_

_"I hope he's okay," she breathed. Lucas hopped over the couch and sat beside her._

"He will be."  


*****Back to the Present  
**

A few moments of silence later, Haley's phone buzzed. She looked at the number and clicked the talk button feverishly, a ball of hopefulness and nervousness spurting through her veins.

"Hey, how'd it go?" 

The line was quiet for a second, before Nathan's voice came on. _"Just a small wrist fracture. I need to take two weeks at the most for rest, and then I can start training again."  
_

Haley raised an eyebrow at how disappointed his voice..._didn't _sound. Call her crazy, but did it have a hint of... delightfulness in it?

"Well, that's great, Nate." she replied. "Does it hurt?" 

_"Eh, a little. Nothing I can't handle."  
_  
"Well, uh, okay then," she said, her mind still a little sidetracked by the tone of his voice.

_"You know what this means, right?"_ he asked.

"No?"

_"I get to come home for the next two weeks." _The smile in his voice was evident. The corners of Haley's lips pulled up. 

"Well that's also great. When will you be home?"

_"Tomorrow? I don't know yet. I'll text you later tonight, I've gotta go talk to the doctor again. Bye baby. I love you." _

__She grinned at the three last words of his sentence. After nine years together, they still made her heart swell. "Okay, I love you too."

*****Two Days Later  
**

Nathan ripped the plastic bag off his arm protecting his casted wrist from the water of the shower, grabbed a towel, and tied it securely around his waist. He stepped out of the Canadian hotel bathroom, and slowly got dressed, using only his left arm. Clay knocked on the door just as he slipped his shirt over his head and got his sling back around his shoulder. 

"Come in."

Clay stepped in, bags in hands. "You ready?"

Nathan sighed and handed Clay a bag of his, carrying his other one in his good hand. "Yeah, let's go home."

The two men flagged a cab down and hopped in. Nathan grimaced as he accidentally banged his bad wrist against the door of the car. 

"Scale of one to ten." 

Nathan looked at Clay questioningly. "What?" 

"Scale of one to ten, how bad does it hurt?" 

Nathan sighed. "I don't know. It's not that bad." 

Clay could barely contain the roll that came to his eyes. "Alright, sure. Then tell me why." 

"Oh my God." Nathan unrolled his window a little bit to allow some brisk air to cool his suddenly hot face. Clay was onto him. He knew it. Haley was too. He could tell every time he talked on the phone with her. They both knew something was up with him. He just wasn't ready to confess to anything...yet.

"Oh my God is right!" Clay retaliated. "You've been in some weird mood ever since your wrist broke, and I want to know why." 

Nathan cringed at the intensity in Clay's voice. He had to keep his cover though. Until thet got home at least. So he turned his head, glared at his best friend, and thought of a good response.

"Can't a guy be a little pissed that he can't play for two weeks?"

Clay widened his eyes and shrugged. "That would be the rational thing! But you've been almost..._happy_ to hear that you don't have to play." 

Nathan turned his head back out the window to avoid eye contact. Clay was right. He was absolutely correct. His intentions screamed at him to just tell the truth, but his head beat out the gut feeling. "No." he spat out, not daring to look Clay in the eye.

"Fine, whatever. When you feel like being serious, let me know." 

Clay's anger was evident, and Nathan didn't blame him. He was being difficult, and Clay didn't deserve the added stress in his life. But he needed to talk to Haley first and get the hard conversation over with before he could confide in his agent. 

*****That Night in Tree Hill **

"Momma, do you think I'm old enough to start reading Harry Potter?"

Haley sighed as she finished tucking Jamie into bed. The same conversation happened every night. She would read a perfectly good childrens book to Jamie, and by the end of the last page, he would immediately jump into questions about Harry Potter. In her opinion, he was too young to read the books, much less see the movies, but Clay and Nathan differed. They had taken him to see each movie when they came out in theatres. Jamie loved it. Haley did not. She didn't agree with the fact that her child should be seeing so much violence at such an early age. She didn't know if he could handle it.

Then again, he'd already encountered death, psychos, sickness, and drowning all before the age of eight. There wasn't much this kid _couldn't_ handle. 

But despite her better judgement, she still thought he was too young. 

"Uhh, how about in a few years, Jame?" 

Jamie's face dropped. "Okay. I'll just have to keep watching the movies."

Haley internally cringed as she kissed his forehead. "Goodnight, bud. I love you."

"Love you too, momma." 

She clicked off his bedside table lamp and padded out of his room, taking one last peek at him over her shoulder. She then proceeded to go down to the living room where Quinn sat, infatuated by the television.

"What's on?" Haley asked as she sat down beside her sister on the couch. Quinn immediately sushed her and locked her gaze back on the TV. Haley raised an eyebrow and looked at what she was watching. 

"Oh my God, Quinn. Not you too." 

"It's addicting!"

Haley chuckled at the defense in Quinn's voice. "First Mouth, then Skills, then Clay, now you?"

Commercials flicked on the screen, which allowed Quinn to actually look at Haley. "It's entertaining. You remind me of Snookie." 

Haley scoffed. "You mean that little orange one with the bumpit in her hair?"

Quinn rolled her eyes as if Haley had insulted one of her best friends, and returned her attention back to the TV.

"Alrighty then." Haley sighed, rising from her position on the couch. All of a sudden, a faint sound of keys jingling caught her ear. She walked towards the front door with caution. It opened before she had a chance to grab some sort of defense weapon, but when Nathan stepped through, it seemed she wouldn't be needing one anyways.

"Hey." he grinned at the sight of his wife and dropped the one bag he carried. Clay came trailing in behind Nathan with his other bag.

"Hey Hales." Clay grumbled, slipping off his shoes and heading straight for Quinn in the living room. Haley raised an eyebrow in his direction as she stepped towards Nathan, who wrapped his good arm around her waist.

"What's eating him?" Haley asked, nuzzling her face into his familiar smell. Nathan sighed as he rested his chin on the top of her head. 

"There's been a little tension between us ever since the wrist incident." he explained. "Let's just say, it was an awkward plane ride home."

Haley stepped back so she could touch his bad wrist faintly. "How's the pain?" 

Nathan shrugged. "Not that bad. It feels a lot better already."

"Good." Haley replied, standing on her tip toes so she could connect her lips to his. The kiss was sweet, but she could tell Nathan was holding back a little bit. His usual enthusiasm wasn't there. 

"You okay?" she questioned, caressing his face gently. "You seem a little distant."

Nathan cringed at what he needed to tell Haley. He wanted to put it off until a little while longer, but it seemed as if she had figured him out since his first phone call to her after his fall.

"Is it about your wrist accident?" she asked. Nathan drew in a long breath through his nose. 

Accident. 

It was no... _accident. _

He considered for a fraction of a second that maybe he should consider acting as a future career choice. He faked running into that guy on the court pretty well, and he handled the fall like a man. He could do all his own stunts if he were to star in an action movie. Also, mystery movies always interested him...

"Nate?" 

Nathan shook his head. He needed to focus. "Hales..." 

Haley raised an eyebrow full of worry. "Yeah...?" 

He took one of her hands in his good one and led her up the stairs to their bedroom, shutting the door behind them. Haley walked uncertainly towards their bed and plopped on it. Nathan sat beside her. 

"I uh, I have a little confession to make."

Haley rubbed his biceps and looked at him through concerned eyes. "What is it?"

The way her voice had the familiar sympathetic tone to it made Nathan feel worse about his current predicament. He looked to the floor, hiding his face. It was time for the truth.

"My broken wrist wasn't an accident." he whispered. "It was my fault. I wanted it to happen."

Haley furrowed her brow and kept on soothing his biceps. "Why?"

Nathan peeked up at her, and then down at his casted wrist. "Because I needed an excuse."

"An excuse for what?" 

Nathan sighed. "To come home." 

Haley groaned, leaning her forehead against his shoulder. Nathan raised a surprised eyebrow. It wasn't the type of frustrated groan he expected. No, this groan was pitying and loving. 

"Uh, what?" he asked nervously, lifting her chin so their eyes could meet. 

"I can't believe you went as far as to breaking your own wrist just so you could come home. You have no idea how guilty I feel right now." 

Nathan just sat there, silenced by Haley's statement. She continued.

"I mean, why didn't you just tell me how much you wanted to come home instead of hurting yourself?" She interlocked their fingers. Nathan shrugged helplessley. 

"You always say how much you and Jamie love seeing me playing out there. Roy always says the whole team is counting on me. I didn't want to let you guys down." 

"...so you broke your wrist, so you could come home and not let the team and us down at the same time." Haley nodded her head, understanding Nathan's logic. Nathan sighed. 

"Yeah," he squeezed her hand. "I know it sounds crazy, but it makes sense to me."

Haley shook her head and kissed his cheek. "It's not the craziest thing I've ever heard." 

Nathan raised his eyebrows. "Really?" 

She gave him her sign of affirmation by pressing her lips to his. When they parted, she cupped his face. 

"So, where are you going to go from here?" she asked softly. Nathan leaned the side of his head against hers, relieved that she took the news well. 

"I don't know. I mean, if I went as far as I did just to get out of playing... maybe I shouldn't be."

Haley inhaled. "Maybe. Have you told Clay?" 

"No, but to answer your other question, I think that's where I'm going to go from here." He kissed the top of her head. "Have I told you how much I love you?" 

Haley grinned pleasantely. "Have I told _you_ how brave I think you are?"

Nathan's eyebrows crinkled. "Brave?" he scoffed. Haley lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at him.

"Yeah, brave. You're considering giving up who you are. If that isn't brave, I don't know what is." 

Nathan smiled slightly. "Well, if anyone is the brave one out of the both of us, I think it's you." 

"Why?" 

Nathan chuckled. "Because you seem perfectly fine with possibly living in a house with no income."

Haley laughed along with him. "Well then I guess I'll have to make a new album." She brushed her lips against his teasingly. Nathan replied by capturing her lips in his for a passionate kiss that they both wanted and needed. When they parted, their breathing was a little heavy.

"Okay, go talk to Clay." Haley breathed. Nathan nodded and reluctantly left his spot beside his wife. 

"Here we go." 

*****The Next Morning  
**

Nathan woke up to the sound of silence. It was nice for him not to have to be on a schedule. He didn't have to get into the gym at a specific time, didn't have to be at a team meeting for a specific time, didn't have to be up in the early hours of the morning for press. He woke up on his own body's schedule, and it felt good. 

And then he looked at the tiny body tucked under his arm, and felt even _better. _He loved waking up beside her. It was probably one of his most favorite things to do. He watched as her eyes fluttered open to meet his.

"Good morning, babe." he whispered groggily, kissing her forehead. Haley smiled at his touch. 

"Morning." she replied with a yawn. "How's the wrist?" 

Nathan chuckled softly at how immediate Haley's concern came. "It's alright."

"Good. So...you going to tell Clay _today_?" 

A nervous chuckle escaped Nathan's lips. "You know I _tried_ to tell him last night, Hales. But he was too..._occupied_ with Quinn." 

Faking a gag, Haley buried her face into the side of her husband's ribs. "I know, honey. And I'm sorry you had to see that. But as far as Clay knows, you're still a Bobcat who is recovering from injury." 

Nathan sighed, kissing the top of her head. "I know. And I mean, I still _could_ be that. You know, maybe I'm not ready to give up basketball yet."

Haley peered up at him through soft eyes. Nathan groaned. 

"But when you look at me like that, Hales," he leaned down just centimeters infront of her lips, "it makes it a _lot_ harder to think of leaving you again."

Haley bit her lip shyly before kissing the lips that taunted hers. After they parted, Nathan spoke for the third time in a row.

"Mhmmm, okay, _really_ don't want to leave you again."

Uncertainty appeared in Haley's deep brown eyes. Nathan noticed the sudden change in mood. 

"What is it, babe?" he asked, kissing her cheek. Haley sighed. 

"I just...I want to know that you'll be okay without basketball." 

Nathan smiled gently. "I will be. And you know why?" 

Haley shook her head.

"Because I know one thing is for sure. _You're _always going to be there with me. Every step of the way. Even if that step doesn't include basketball."

The reluctance left Haley's eyes as he spoke. In that moment, she knew he would be okay. With or without basketball, Nathan Scott was hers forever. Nothing mattered except them and their family. 

"I love you." she said, snuggling deeper into his embrace. Nathan beamed. 

"I love you too, baby. We're going to be okay. I promise."

*****Later That Day**

"Jame, uncle Skills is here!"

Jamie sky rocketed down the stairs. "Yay!" He brushed past Haley and slammed the door in a split second. A moment later it creeked open slowly to reveal his adrenaline rushed face.

"Bye, momma. Love you!"

Haley bent down and kissed his nose. "Bye bud. Have a good time!" 

After the door clicked shut, Haley pivoted and tip toed towards her sister, whose ear was plastered against the closed living room door.

"Do you hear any shouting?" Haley asked, placing her ear against the door in a similar fashion. Quinn shook her head. 

"Nope, I hear nothing. How thick are these doors? Seriously."

Haley shrugged, biting her bottom lip. "I don't even know the choice Nathan made."

Quinn raised an eyebrow. 

"I don't know if he chose to keep playing or to quit." she clarified. "I mean, if he broke his own wrist just to get out of playing, doesn't that say something?" 

"Yeah, I mean, Nate's a family guy." Quinn replied. "He loves you and Jamie more than anything in the world. It would make sense that he wants to quit."

Haley furrowed her brow and nodded slowly. "But he's worked his _whole_ life to get where he is now. I don't know if he's actually ready to give it up."

Quinn patted her sister's worried shoulder. "Hales, Nate's the only one who will know if he's ready to give it up or not. If he says he is, than he is. If he says he's not, than he's not. But he'll be okay. It won't be like last time basketball wasn't in his life." 

Haley swallowed back tears and nodded. "I know. I just worry for him."

"Don't." Quinn said, the seriousness in her voice dominant. "Don't worry for him. You've got two other lives to think about. Let everyone else worry about him, and let everyone worry about _you_. You should be doing no worrying, okay?"

Haley gave a slight smile to her sister, and the two continued listening. Nathan had asked Clay to talk with him about a half hour earlier. Neither of them had emerged from the off-limits living room since.

About ten minutes later, Quinn detected footsteps. 

"Hales, run!" She grabbed her sister's arm and they bolted to the kitchen and sat posied and naturally, as if they had been there all along. 

And just as suspected, Nathan and Clay walked into the kitchen, one after the other. The evenness of their faces made Haley uneasy.

"Hey guys..." she trailed off, raising her eyebrows as Nathan made his way over to her and kissed the top of her head before taking her hands in his and pulling her off the chair.

"Can we go upstairs for a minute?" he asked politely. Haley and Quinn exchanged a questioning look before the couple went up the stairs, none of them speaking a word until their door was safely shut. 

"What's wrong?" Haley asked uncertainly as Nathan snaked his arms around her waist. 

"Nothing's wrong," he said, his voice pleasant. "everything went okay with Clay."

"So what does this mean?" she asked. "Are you going to keep playing?" 

Nathan inhaled loudly before responding. He stared deeply into her eyes, a small smirk playing in his lips. "You're so worried. I can tell."

Haley scoffed. "Well, yeah!" 

Nathan shook his head and bent over to pick her up in his arms. He carried her over to their bed and laid her down. He lay beside her and toyed with her hair. She had to smile at the feel of his touch despite the butterflies fluttering in her stomach. After a few minutes of silent stares and loving gestures, Nathan spoke. 

"You remember the first time I was without basketball?" 

Haley cringed. "I try not to, but yeah." 

Nathan sighed. "It was terrible. I was horrbile, and I hate that version of myself every day."

She nodded as he paused before continuing.

"But I **promise** you Haley, I will _never_ be like that, _ever_ again." his face twisted."Just the thought of hurting you and Jamie that badly again makes me sick." 

Haley caressed his face. "I know you'll never go back to that person again."

Nathan nodded. "So, Clay and I came to a desicion."

Haley braced herself. Nathan noticed her guard.

"I think it's time for me to retire." 

Haley couldn't help the gasp that came to her lips. Nathan tightened his hold on her.

"Now I know this is a desicion we have to make together, so what do you think?"

Haley chewed her lip. "I think whatever you think is best is what's best. I love you, and I trust you, and I know you'll find something else that you'll succeed in."

Nathan broke out into a toothy grin. "You know, before I met you, I never thought I could love something more than the game. But the second I realized I loved you, I knew I would never be the same. Like I said on the park bench at the rivercourt a few years ago. I love the game, but I love being a husband and a father more."

Haley couldn't help the grin that came to her own lips. "I love you so much," she said, inching towards his lips. "I love who you are, and who-"

Her words were instantly cut off by Nathan's warm lips on hers. They tackled hers with a fierce passion that both of them couldn't contain. They knew their one true destination. It didn't include basketball, and it didn't include music. Sure, those things could leave a temporary euphoric and rewarding feeling, but the deep warm sensation of being in love was so much more profound, and still burned brightly between Nathan and Haley. They knew that their path would be one not defined by a career. It would be layed out by their true love and passion for eachother. And nothing else mattered. 

**Okay sorry this chapter was like.. super short aha. I wanted to put more stuff in it but I wrote the last paragraph kinda as a closing one, so I just decided to end it. **

**But fear not - the Valentines Day chapter is the next one up! It'll be a fluffy one filled with basically just Naley, so yeah, that's something I'm looking forward to writing!  
**

**Thanks for reading! :) **


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